MENOPAUSE

Oestrogen Patches

Who ever would have thought that one day we would come up with the idea of applying sticky band aids containing oestrogen to our skin to help us remain well and feminine? The idea is here to stay and Swiss women have been doing it for six years, American women for five years and the British for four years. Because of red tape and bureaucratic bungling, Australia has definitely been lagging behind as far as the oestrogen patch is concerned, however it has arrived, and will be available from your doctor in the next few months.
The natural oestrogen in the patch is absorbed through the skin into the blood stream. One patch can be worn for three days on a convenient part of the trunk excluding the breasts. The site selected should be one at which little wrinkling of the skin occurs during movement of the body e.g. the abdomen, buttock or lower back. There is no need to have a break from using the patches and in women with a uterus, progesterone tablets should be given for ten to twelve days every month. Hopefully, in the near future we will have patches containing natural progesterone which will be used along with the natural oestrogen patch.
Oestrogen patches come in three strengths and contain the natural oestrogen, oestradiol. Occasionally, the patches can produce skin irritation and redness and this can be reduced by changing the site of the patch with each successive application.
When the oestrogen patch first appeared on the scene, there was some scepticism about its ability to produce adequate blood levels of oestradiol. However, the patches have undergone extensive testing and have been shown to produce very adequate blood levels of oestradiol, indeed similar to those found in younger pre-menopausal women who still have natural menstrual cycles. A recent study reported in Britain's Lancet Medical Journal produced very exciting news about the ability of the oestrogen patch to reduce calcium loss from the spinal vertebrae and hips. The 50mcg oestrogen patch was found to be just as effective as tablet forms of oestrogen in the prevention of osteoporosis. The oestrogen patch is a very safe way for you to achieve constant and normal levels of oestrogen in your blood. Because the oestrogen is absorbed directly into the blood stream it is able to reach your cells before’ it is broken down by the liver enzymes. Thus, smaller doses of oestrogen can be used in the patch and are far less likely to produce side-effects due to metabolic changes in the liver. This makes the patches excellent for women with high blood pressure, fluid retention, bloating, varicose veins, obesity and a past history of clots or thrombosis.
Take the case of Alice, a 62-year-old woman who had been told that she could never take oestrogen because she had suffered two serious blood clots in her leg after her hysterectomy at the age of 43 and again after an appen-dicectomy at the age of 49. Alice was following in her mother's footsteps as far as osteoporosis was concerned and by the age of 58 had developed an obvious hump on her back. X-rays revealed several crushed vertebrae in her thoracic spine and her bone density values were very low and getting worse every year. Alice knew she needed oestrogen but was too scared to take it for fear that it may cause a recurrence of her blood clots. I managed to obtain some supplies of the oestrogen patch for Alice by making a special application to the Department of Health and she began using them regularly. She was greatly relieved to be able to take a form of oestrogen that was safe and effective and we both relaxed when her tests showed six months later that she had stopped losing calcium from her spine.
The oestrogen patch will be a godsend to women unable to tolerate tablets or implants of oestrogen and also for high risk women such as those with liver disorders, high blood pressure, varicose veins and thrombosis.
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