Patch comfort

[Lucca]

I'm currently on pills, and intend to be for awhile, but once I've had my orchiectomy and have found a stable, comfortable dose of E without spiro, I want to try patches. Supposedly they're slightly healthier, and I also like the idea of getting to a place where I don't have to take daily pills, which I've been doing for many years for a variety of medical conditions but have been getting healthy enough over time that living pill-free is finally on the horizon.

 

So just some questions, how big are they? And how well do they stay on? Are they comparable to a band-aid in size and stickiness? I wear (actual "Band-Aid" brand) band-aids in my crotch and leg-fold area a lot due to frequent open sores from a skin condition, and I usually forget they're there, so I figure if patches are as sticky, flexible, and unobtrusive as a band-aid, I ought to do well on them.

 

Feel free to give opinions on shots as an alternative too, though I'm much less likely to go for them as I don't want to self-administer shots or have fluctuating hormone levels.

[VickySGV]

I use patches and they are about an inch by an inch and a quarter oval flexible plastic just about the thickness of a plastic band aid.  The medication is in the adhesive so it is a different consistency than the band aid and tends to come off a little easier, but the adhesive layer may still stay on your skin.  It will depend on how dry your skin is as to how they stick and move with you.  For my dry old skin they fall off after 4 days but my Endo prescribed them for me for less than a week wear and some times they do work for the week.  My patch right now is itching, but that is its worst.

[NB Adult]

Patches work well and are preferable to pills as a topical application over anything taken internally and much easier on the liver. They do cause a little itching around their circumference and if they tend to come off, a strip of clear surgical tape placed vertically will hold them in place nicely and they won't be disturbed as panties go up and down during the day.

[Lucca]

Yeah, why do they put the hormones in the adhesive? I mean, I guess it's so that it's making contact with the skin, but why not make the patch a little bigger with a more sticky outer ring so it doesn't come off?

[NB Adult]

40 minutes ago, Lucca said:

Yeah, why do they put the hormones in the adhesive? I mean, I guess it's so that it's making contact with the skin, but why not make the patch a little bigger with a more sticky outer ring so it doesn't come off?

 

Because it works best I suppose, and the end user would probably prefer the patch to be as unobtrusive as possible.

[Jani]

Concerning the itchiness mentioned by Vicky, this is something I experienced early on while I was getting used to them but it went away and I have no itchiness now.  I use 7 day patches which are changed out once a week.  

[Susan R]

I tried the 'twice a week' patches about 6 months ago. I was fortunate to not experience any negative side effects (itching redness, soreness, etc...) or any other issues with patches during the month I switched to them. I had heard that they can come off in the shower but I prevented this by covering the patch with a waterproof bandaid only slightly larger than the patch itself. I applied them to my upper buttocks. The patch never came off. Unfortunately, after a month on patches, my E levels dropped from 168 to 95 so I was immediately put back on sublingual tabs again. Now I'm back where I need to be.

 

Some people respond well on patches and others like myself don't.  I'm glad I at least tried them because as many have stated, they are slightly safer than tablet form.

 

Susan R?

[MiraM]

My doctor switched me from injections to twice weekly patches in December.  The ones he has me on are 3"x2" and comfort is not in the description.  I sweat a lot at work so the are constantly lifting off (even with a tegaderm patch over them), the itch like crazy, sometimes feel like my skin is burning under them, and leave large red, irritated areas when removed.  The redness and irritation takes about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks to go away on me.  When I changed them out yesterday, I also noticed some blistering at the corner of one of them.

 

I haven't had my levels checked since the switch, so I don't know if they are as effective as the injections.  I have my HRT and cancer followup with my endocrinologist in March.  I am debating whether to wait until then to discuss the issues I am having with them of sending him a message before to see what he says.

 

From the experience I have had with them so far, they would never be my first choice.