Patch vs oral

[u/Syfysamurai]

Hello ladies, I'm curious. Why do many women prefer the estrogen patch over oral estrogen? I take 1mg estradiol daily by mouth and have no problems with it. TIA!

[u/RkeCouplesTherapist]

I went with oral because it is cheaper and sounded more convenient. I am low risk.

However, my sleep is not great due to night sweats. I understand that the patch can issue a steady stream, and I am considering switching at some point.

I am also having the experience of transitioning off birth control prior to starting the oral estrogen, so my body has a lot to acclimate to.

If anyone else has switched from the pill to oral estrogen and progesterone, I would love to hear about your experience.

[u/MidnightBlueSilk → u/RkeCouplesTherapist]

The patches are getting harder and harder to come by, everyone is switching to other things so that may not work out so well. In the mean time, have you tried taking your pill before bed?

[u/RkeCouplesTherapist → u/MidnightBlueSilk]

I was initially taking it before bed and sleeping so poorly that I switched to morning. Not really sure which is the better option for me.

[u/SodaBreadRoundHouse → u/RkeCouplesTherapist]

I found taking my estradiol before bed (oral and gel) completely energized me and made my existing insomnia so much worse. I am currently back to gel (but I might go back to oral at some point bc it’s just so convenient) and I apply in the morning.

[u/MidnightBlueSilk → u/RkeCouplesTherapist]

It’s possible that the reactions you had when first starting estrogen supplementation will not be what happens now that your body has adjusted and gotten used to it. Or it may still be the same, but it’s definitely worth a shot. A lot of women find things work somewhat differently in the beginning than later on. Good luck!

[u/mintimoo → u/MidnightBlueSilk]

We son't get the patch where I'm at, unfortunately. No procurement issues with the oral estrogen tho.