Estrogen Gel – What You Need To Know

I will start by saying that I have 1.5mg of estrogen gel every day, and I am happy to share my experience.

 There is a lot of other bits of info I found when looking into easing my menopausal symptoms, I will share those too.

I actually take a form of combined HRT, which is 1.5mg of estrogen gel (Sandrena) and 100mg of progesterone hormone (Utrogestan)

Your estrogen dose will depend on your menopause symptoms and where you are in the menopause. Also your estrogen levels are up to and if there are any risk factors to consider.

My menopausal symptoms came in the form of bloating, anxiety, hot flushes and the worst joint pain. All of which I didn’t know were perimenopausal and went on for many years before I was diagnosed.

Many women find this is the case, they suffer from these symptoms but because they are still having a menstrual cycle. They don’t twig that perimenopause is the cause.

What is Estrogen Gel?

Estrogen gel or oestrogen gel is a form of HRT which is prescribed to women who are showing menopausal symptoms due to the reduction in estrogen in their bodies.

When our estrogen levels start to drop we notice quite a few symptoms. 

You may start to have symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, sore joints, night sweats, irregular periods, and brain fog.

Estrogen gel has been designed to put those hormones back into our bodies to alleviate some of those symptoms.

The estrogen gels provided are clear and odourless and are usually alcohol-based, mine is what I can only describe as slippery!

Estrogen gel is transdermal which means that it is absorbed through the skin. It is not something we eat, drink or get in there intravenously! 

Although I would have taken it through my eyes to stop the symptoms in the beginning (this is a joke)

What Does Body Identical HRT Mean?

Body identical or bio-identical HRT is a form of HRT that has been created using a product which has the same molecular structure as your own hormones which are produced from your ovaries.

It is actually made from the yam plant and has been tested and researched more than any other form of HRT which makes it the safest to take.

What Does Estrogen Gel do For Menopause?

I will start by saying what it did for me and it’s pretty simple.

I had so many symptoms before going on estrogen gel and within a week of taking it, 90% of them had gone or were starting to go.

90% of my symptoms, gone in a week!

The role of hormone replacement therapy is to help alleviate the symptoms brought on by perimenopause and menopause.

Taking HRT can be worrying when you have heard all the reports of the breast cancer risk, increased blood pressure, blood clots and other risk factors. 

Do your research and you will find that a lot of the evidence is changing.

The Balance website is a wonderful place to get some scientific information from a leading menopause doctor Dr Louise.

What Types of Estrogen Gels Are There?

The brands out there producing oestrogen-only gel are Sandrena and Estrogel.

Sandrena estrogen gel is the gel I take. It comes in little sachets and I am on 1.5mg per day. I have one full sachet on my inner thigh in the morning and half a sachet on the other thigh at night.

This might not be the best way for everyone, but that works for me. If you want more info on what hormone replacement therapy I take then check this out.

The other estrogen-only HRT gel brand is Oestrogel. A few of my friends are on Oestrogel and they swear by it.

When I was diagnosed perimenopausal there was a national shortage of Oestrogel so I ended up on Sandrena and I love it.

Oestrogel comes in a pump not a sachet and the dosage is given by the number of pumps you are dispensing. 

A quick application on the outside of the upper arm and you are good to go.

When Should You Apply Estrogen Gel?

Advice on this differs depending on where you look, but the general thought is that you can use it at any time of the day as long as you are consistent.

Some women prefer the morning but are advised to wait a while after showering because the blood flow needs to regulate to absorb the gel correctly.

Many women use estrogen gel at night and swear that this helps them with their night sweats, and creates better sleep.

Your HRT prescription should tell you what works best for the brand of gel you have but I think you need to find what works for you and be consistent.

How To Apply Estrogen Gel

Women find that smearing the prescribed dose on the inner thigh or outer upper arm is the most effective way.

I take my Sandrena sachet and squeeze the whole sachet onto my upper inner thigh. 

I then use my inner forearm to gently smear the gel over my inner thigh, I spread it over an area about the size of two hands.

The reason I use my forearm is that firstly I don’t want to waste ANY of the gel by washing my hands after. I also don’t want to spread my oestrogen hormones around the house.

This way I absorb all the good stuff, no mess.

Now this way can take me a good 15-20 minutes before the gel is absorbed and the skin dries. If I get dressed too quickly, my clothes will stick to the gel.

I have never used Oestrogel but I am told that the outer upper arm is great and it dries in 5 minutes. Sandrena instructions also say 5 minutes and that doesn’t happen for me.

Can Estrogen Gel Work Immediately?

Most women have a different answer to this. 

There are a few things to consider like, have applied it correctly? Is it the correct dose? Are getting any unpleasant symptoms? Are you using skin products at the same time?

Let me tell you about my HRT prescription and how it worked out for me:

I started on 1.0mg Sandrea and 100mg Utrogestan and within 48 hours I noticed that my low mood improved. My bloating was not as painful and the sore hip I had for over a year wasn’t keeping me awake at night.

Anxiety was a big symptom for me and within a week I felt brand new. I had become so anxiety-riddled I wouldn’t drive at night or get the train to work for meetings.

By the end of week one I no longer had my hip pain, my bloating had gone, the headaches stopped and all other main symptoms had disappeared.

This will not be the case for some women, maybe lots of women, but for me, it was a week.

It can take up to 3 months for hormones to do their thing and help with feeling better and like I said above, it can depend on a number of things.

Can You Get estrogen Gel Over The Counter?

No, you cannot get estrogen gel over the counter at a pharmacy, you need to have a HRT prescription.

Plus why would you want to? 

We are all so different, you should get blood tests, you need to make sure you don’t have high blood pressure or you have an increased risk if you take it.

Is Estrogen Gel Safe?

Like any hormone replacement therapy, risk factors will need to be considered.

Estrogen gel is considered to be incredibly safe. 

Research has found there to be very little or no increase in your risk of breast cancer.

Estrogen gel has also not been found to increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis. Your BMI and family history will need to be considered.

Considerations need to be made if you are on a combined HRT. Adding in a different hormone will come with its own risk but your GP will be able to explain all of this to you.

Do your research on oestrogen gel side effects, here is a great place to start.

Closing Thoughts

There are a bunch of different HRT options such as estrogen patches, Mirena coil and tablet form, a great resource website is here.

I started HRT to help with the crippling symptoms of perimenopause. 

I had no idea how effective this would be, it completely turned my menopause symptoms on their head.

Yes, I am taking the progesterone tablet for the first 14 days of the month. Sometimes it is a pain in the ass remembering to take two tablets each night, but it’s totes worth it.

If you are suffering from any symptoms you think might be from perimenopause or menopause, PLEASE go and speak to your doctor or go to a menopause clinic.

There is help out there.

I know we’ve all heard the stories about blood clots, the risk of breast cancer, deep vein thrombosis. We’ve even heard about pulmonary embolisms, but the world is very different now so do your research and speak to a GP.

Overall estrogen gel is a winner for me.

Kathryn x