Can I cut my HRT patch in half ?

Women's health
1

I’m going cuckoo today at my wits end !!! Only 4 weeks on the patch and although it’s lifted my fatigue and dizziness I have terrible depression now. 

Is it too strong for me ? Should I cut it in half ? I  am very sensitive to medications .

The weeks months are passing by ... can’t make any plans for travel or anything fun as cannot chance travelling feeling dizzy or extremely exhausted. 

2

Lori, did you read my last post? You can cut it in half but it will take a few days before you start feeling any change, I recommend you contact your doctor for another alternative. It sounds as if this medication isn't suited for you, even if you lower the dose you may still have a predisposition for depression.

3

Yes I will tomorrow ... just debating what’s worse.....  ready for bed at 4.30pm and extreme dizziness without the patch or deep depression and great skin with it.

I’ll try the half the patch if she agrees as I need ‘something’ . I was a complete mess before but this is pretty awful all around . 

4

I'm so sorry you're going through depression to be honest I never took anything my doctor told me that taking things for menopause only prolongs the menopause symptoms so I just stayed away from it all I still experience some of the symptoms as I explain two other ladies in other discussions but not as bad as I used to hang in there it does get better there is a light at the end of the tunnel

5

Maybe you need to change the medicine.

6

Lori, 

You could be similar to me - the progesterone in my first patches affected me the same way - really badly. 

After persevering for 6 months I came off them and tried a different progesterone and felt better on it. I was going to cut my patch in half but the doc said I'd hardly be getting much drug from half and she only recommended to do that when titrating down to stopping HRT altogether... 

I have no idea as I did try it anyway but didn't feel much different... 

Hope you get some relief one way or another. 

AJ. x

7

Are you on a combo patch ? I’m on Climara Pro estrogen and progesterone . You waited 6 months ? Wow ! 

Did you cut the patch in half ? I wonder how one patch is different from another?

8

Hi again, 

I was on a sequi patch so two weeks of oestrogen only patch  (which I was fine with) and then 2 weeks of a combi  patch each month. The combi patch oestrogen and progesterone I was NOT ok with - at all. I felt so low and angry, wanted to cry all the time and felt paranoid that everyone was so happy but I wasn't... this really wasn't me as I'm normally pretty ok... so yes, after 6 months I felt so bad that I rang my doc and asked for advice, then switched to another brand, which was better. 

AJ. xx

9

If you don’t mind telling me the brand name of the new patch ?

It seems everybody is saying it’s the progesterone that makes you down ?

I like the fact my hair has gone thicker and skin looks younger but would rather feel mentally ok over that . 

10

Ok so the first patch was Evorel Sequi... and I too felt my hair and skin were really good on it but like I said I literally could not tolerate the progesterone. 

The second patch I tried was Femseven Sequi but oh my word, they just kept coming off in the shower- nightmare!! Also my hair was really affected and really came out!!! 😖 Although no bad side effects,  I felt I wasn't getting the correct dosage  as I couldn't make them stick! So all change again... 

Now I've just finished my first month of Evorel oestrogen only patches continuously and then adding in 2 utrogestran tabs each evening from day 14 to day 28. My hair is not coming out as bad and I didn't have side effects this month except it makes you a little sleepy in the morning but wow did I sleep at night!!! 

I'll stay on this regime a while and assess how it goes... fingers crossed! 🤞🏻

AJ xx

11

Ps I was on the Femseven for 3 months before I gave up!! 

xx

12

Why did you give up ? 

13

Ok sorry seeing how you wrote that now ....

How did you know it was the progesterone making you feel weird ? And not the estrogen?

I’m so uneducated but trying now to become more knowledgeable ..... 

I’m going to screenshot what you wrote and ask my dr ... if that would work for me ? 

I’m so desperate to just feel happy again . 

14

Hey, 

So i knew it was possibly the progesterone as I always felt that bit worse when I started the dual patches in the last two weeks of my cycle... it then kind of built up so that I felt worse and worse each month... my doctor said that quite a few people find the progesterone in Evorel an issue (not all obviously) and so recommended I try another brand... hence I then started on the Femseven.

Now I am back on the Evorel oestrogen only patches (adding in the utrogestran tabs for the last 14 days) I have not had the same side effects so I'm positive it was defo the progesterone causing my issues in the first instance... of course I have only used this regime for one month... I'm hoping it is ok though! The utrogestran did make me sleepy at night and kind of sleepy first thing but I'm hoping my body adjusts... we'll see as I'll give this regime a few more months! 

AJ. xx

15

Hi Sochima

can you tell me where your post is about cutting hrt patch please.

i know this us an old post but hope you are still here

thanks
junie

16

I have been trying different HRT for 18 month now for my early menopause . i also find the mental side effects really bad, so much worse than my menopause issues. I can never work out if the estrogen or the progesterone.

How long did take to find the right medication?

17

Monique how long have you been in this