Anyone on injections or implant (estrogen)?

Women's health
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Hi

It's been a while since I've been on this forum... im 43 diagnosed early menopause , like in November 2014 all my levels where postmeno (fsh , estrogen and progesterone). I started on hrt and have been on estradot 100 mcg x 2 (yes i wear two patches) for now 1 year. I started out with low dose tablets then low dose patch to now.

Overall I'm ok on the patches , like not super duper me but most of the symptoms are under control , still having some psychological problems like anxiety and I'm a grump most times.

Anyhow I have been told my the pharmacist that estradot will be out of stock until mid next year and I had a few times already where I had not gotten my patches and it messes all my levels up. Also wearing the patches is not really that flash so I have been wondering about estrogen implant or estrogen injections instead and would love to hear from others how they feel on it? I guess I'm a bit worried because once the implant is in it's in - so the injections.

Any feedback would greatly be appreciated xo smile

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I was immediately put on estradiol implants when I had a full hysterectomy 27 years ago.  I would use up a year's one in 9 months.  Loved them.  Then they stopped making them and I moved to patches.

Still good but the two patches per week did not last 7 days, so topped up with a satchet of gel on 7th day.  However, if I forgot to replace them on time, I would suddenly get a wave of anxiety or depression for no reason at all.  So I found a compound chemist who made the estradiol implants (a dr's script is required).

I am so pleased to be back on them.  No more downs.  My body absorbes the oestrogen it needs when it needs it.  I am sure you could have the implant removed if you absolutely found it necessary - it is planted shallow.

 

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Oh that sounds promising I find the patches not to last as long as they should either, 48 hours each patch is about it as by then it's all condensation under the patch (body soaked it up dry), the ones I'm on they're supposed to last 3-4 days each... so now I have 2 patches at the same time on and change them alternating. My GP is fine with implanting the estrogen he's given me a script for a 100mg one. Maybe I should just try it...

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It sounds like your body needs more oestrogen like mine does.  I use the 100mg one too, so don't be surprised if you start to feel menopausal symptoms at 9 months or earlier.  Now that you have been warned, you will know what is happening.  Have some patches on hand till you can get another one done.

I thought I had to wait for the whole 12 months, but a dr told me I did not have to wait, and could replace the implant when needed, i.e. at 9 months.

I also alternate with the oestriol cream and vagifem (low dose) each night.

Good luck with it.

 

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PS:  Just a smear of the oestriol cream is usually necessary when alternating with the vagifem.  Otherwise all too messy.

 

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Yes I think my body needs more estrogen... like really at the moment it gets every day a new 100 mcg patch having 1.56 mg estradiol in it (keep old patch do a new one- next day take the old one off new one- etc) i did try to leave a patch on for 3 days but by that day the patch surface is just "wet" and all the coating dry and absorbed by my body. So wearing 2 patches with alternating days changing each is just keeping me ok. No sore breasts etc either. Actually progesterone is more doing that - beats me? I think I'll get back to my GP and just do it, think it won't last me a year but, but as you say would just have to top up with patches or gel until new implant is in. How did the change over from patches to implant again go for you? How long does it approx take to stabilise ?

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Gee, manuela, you are worse than I am!  I have very narrow hips and thighs and I have read that those with more rounded hips and thighs do not need much oestrogen, and those like me need more.

Others have confirmed same on this forum.  Are you the same as me with this type of build, or are you the exception?

I am glad you asked that question.  My first changeover back to implants was not very successful.  I did not feel any benefit at all.  I spoke to compound chemist to confirm once again whether what he made was exactly the same as the original, which he said was.  The only other possibility for the failure was that my gp did not plant it in a sufficiently fatty spot on my abdomen.  I wanted her to go lower near my pubic line where it was more fleshy but she insisted in implanting it higher where my skin was thinner.  It must be in fat to be absorbed.

So back on the patches till I got another one.  I made sure my gp could pinch up some reasonable fat next time and it worked ok.  Felt the surge in my breasts after 2-3 weeks.  But I used half patches until that happened.

I have had it planted in upper bottom area but I did not like it there.  I had to get husband to remove stitch because I could not see it and also I like to avoid the pany line which could be irritating.

The last implant I had (July this year), the gp did not have a trocum (?) applicator.  I told her to just make an incision and poke it in.  It is only about the size of a matchhead.  The trocum incises the skin and pushes it in at an angle to the cut.  Anesthetic injections numb the skin first, of course!!!!!

It worked well, it just means the pellet was vertically under the incision instead of to the side.  You can feel it and it ends up getting smaller and smaller till it is all gone over time.  So when you can't physically feel it anymore, it is definitely all used up.

The dr puts a water proof dressing on which I keep on for a couple (or more days - I am naughty), then in 5-7 days, I pull up the stitch with some tweezers and cut with a scalpel (which the dr provides too) - saves going back to her.  I have to watch it as my skin can grow over the stitch sometimes.

It is dearer (where I am from, about $120) plus dr's fees (plus postage to get it), but probably equal to 12 times a script, but very trouble free for me, and worth it.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

 

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Lol yep-same body built as you. Narrow hips, never had much breasts either more on the boyish side of figure I used to say hahaha - I have put on some weight the last few months but so I'm a bit fattier than what I used to be 59 kg / 162 cm rather than 50 kg

So you say front area seems to work better ? Not sure where my GP would want to put it.. 🤔 I'm not to worried about the implantation. I have a pretty got pain threshold with stuff like this so just cut and put it in would be fine with me 😁

For me personally I think it would only come a bit more expensive , like the patches for 24 I pay AUD 43 plus then I get a pbs script also that's aud 6.10 for 8 patches. . Sometimes I have 2 pbs scripts from two different doctors runing at different pharmacies lol- it's all a bit inconvenient really as I'm constantly changing patches ,buying patches and chasing scripts. Medicare is only approving subsides script for 1 patch at the time changed 3-4 days. So I'm pretty much dodging it.

I bought some estradiol injections 10 mg- haven't touched them yet but ... thought maybe I could jab myself first to see how that goes as it's similar to an implant really. But then I'm a sook when it comes to new meds and especially hormones as I'm a nutcase to put it bluntly when they drop too low 😭😭😭

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Ah, you are Australian too.  The cost I quoted is AU$.  I searched for some confirmation of exact price but can't find it in a hurry.  I think it was about $140 including postage and Amex fees, plus your dr's fees to implant.  So compare that to probably say 9 months of your patches (x 2 lots?), plus dr's fees to replace scripts.  If you have private insurance, you will get about $36 back from them.  So it all sounds cheaper for you than what you are doing currently.

I am not so sure about the estradiol injections as I don't know how they work.  Will it be a hit of oestrogen all at once - whereas the implanted pellets are gradually used?  That can make a huge difference to how you feel, some patches give you hit all at once, and some are matrix giving a gradual dose.  My pharmacist warned me against the non-matrix ones.

I would not say having them implanted in front works better - just more convenient for me.  If you wear bikinis, you may want to make sure the incision is lower.  I find drs ideas of below the panty line can be different to my idea too.

Something you may be interested in.  I am trying pregnenolone too.  It is the 'grandmother' of all hormones, after cholesterol (try to improve your good cholesterol if it is low, as your hormones start from there), then pregnenolone is the precursor to DHEA, then progesterone, then oestrogen and testosterone.  It supposedly supplies the body with the hormone that you need.   I get these from the same compound chemist.

I started with one x 25mg per day, then upped it to 2 x 25 mg per day.  Last order, I got 50 mg capsules, as it is cheaper to buy that way.  I just recently stopped taking progestogen as I suspected it was making my head sweat too much.  I was only taking the progestogen because it was supposed to stop endometriosis activation when using oestrogen.  I never noticed any difference with it, but a few days when I did not have any progestogen, I noticed a difference in my headsweats.

So I stopped taking them and I still get damp hair, but not soaked hair.  (My head sweats started when I had an undiagnosed prolactinoma for 6 years - medication instantly relieved it but some sweats at a much lesser extent returned later - possibly when my gp upped my progesterone - I cannot confirm that for sure).  But progesterone is an antagonist of oestrogen, and I just don't understand it enough to know what that means.

 

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Yes I'm in Australia too the cheapest compounding pharmacy I've found (online) is $85 plus postage for 100 mg implant, another one $131 plus postage. Not sure why the pricedifference...

I estimate I spend average $30-$35 / month on the patches plus GP fees and visits to get scripts so the implant would be cheaper and especially more continent for sure

From what I read/ understand with the injections, it is making a deposit in your body, it gets injected into fatty part like upper quadrant butt, from which it slowly gets released like an implant basically. Hence I could probably try it....

I still have my uterus so I'm needing progesterone , but each time I take it I wake up with sweats in the early morning hours.. it's weird, plus sore breasts...

Pregnenolne , how much do you pay for that? I actually did other a cream but haven't used it yet,,it's 15 mg/ pump.$28/ 57 gr. what exactly is it for? I just ordered it as i read something about progesterone steal? Is it converting in whichever hormone your body needs?

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Same body built Rather boyish hips, not much breasts etc- So yes I guess that theory is right. I actually read about that, females that have more curves etc. have naturally more estrogen, I think they might be also a bit slower in metabolising it?

I think the implant be actually cheaper over the course of months it lasts, and certainly more convienient than having to change patches and having to go regulary to the GP to get scripts etc. Plus the fluctuations also as I sometimes forget to change the patch and then do it a day later etc.

The Injections are actually ""Depots" meaning they are made the way that when injected in the fatty tissue (upper quadrant butt) they're there as a Depot releasing the Estrogen into the bloodstream as implants do. Don't ask me how it works, but thats what they say lol - Estrogen Depot

I have prenenolone here actually just havent used it yet. 15 mg one, maybe I should try it? Do you think it is helping you?

As I do have my uterus still I need Progesterone also, but I'm having a bit troubles with that one. Cream and oral Progesterone USP makes me woozy, gives me PMS symptoms like mentally mainly. So I have been using the vaginal way but with that I wake up every morning with sweats, like starting to sweat around 5-6 am My breasts are all sore too....So I still need to tweak that one, maybe its too high of a dose? I actually took the 100 mg vaginal and made a bloodtest and my progesterone was from 2 up to 23, there I was thinking to have read that vaginal progesterone stays local and doesnt affect blood serum levels....Weird...

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If your earlier reply is not released by the moderator, PM me.

Pregnenolone - not sure yet.  Certainly not making me feel bad.  Perhaps if my implant lasts longer than 9 months it will be a good indicator.  I don't have regular hormone blood tests.

I also have an aggressive form of haemochromatosis which is also said to be an oestrogen/testosterone thief.  Some of the symptoms of this are so like menopause that it is hard to separate the two.  Hair loss, aches and pains, mood problems, foggy brain, loss of libido, sweats and chills, etc. etc.

Progesterone does seem to be problematic.  I just have not read up enough about it to understand the process.  Except that it is an oestrogen antagonist -  and who wants their oestrogen antagonised?

I was only on 5 mg tab medroxyprogesterone acetate (Ralovera), then my gp upped it to 10mg.  I can't say I immediately noticed starting sweating again then though.  I think my life was too hectic at the time.

 

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Yes, I always thought only a small amount of progesterone is required.

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Describing pregnenolone is complicated - best to google it for all information.