There are regular shortages of Menopause Hormone Therapy patches in Australia.
Today, I lucked out.
And there was much rejoicing!
For the last six months or so, I’ve been playing estrogen roulette.
“Eh?” you ask.
Estrogen roulette. Chemist surfing. Behaving like a bleary-eyed redneck dependent of Oxycontin from the back blocks of Tennessee. Making phone calls, dropping into outlying chemists, praying, hoping, begging that your HRT/MRT* patches are in stock.
More often than not, you won’t find them. Out of stock. On back order. Expect them in after July. Go talk to your doctor about other methods. Yes, you need a prescription for it. No, I can’t do a straight substitution. Go back, spend another $100 talking to your doctor about the other dwindling alternatives.
You’re aware that you’re behaving like a junkie. And like any drug dependent person, you’re fully aware of what happens when you run out of your supply. In my case, without the oestrogen patches, I’m one big sweating, incontinent, grumpy hot flush ready to jump down anybody’s throat given half the chance.
Sod that for a game of soldiers.
I’ve spoken to my doctor about all of this. I’ve talked to her a couple of times over the last few years. I have an emergency prescription for the estrogen gel, however, after giving it a try this month, although it does work, it sends my blood pressure up. You also have to use it every day, rubbing this scentless goop into your limbs. As one of the neuro-spicy, I’m not overly fond of the sensations of using the gel. It’s my last resort. Slapping on a patch twice a week and not having to endure the hypertension and the feeling that you’re going to stroke out is a much better experience.
The gel is also $10 a month more expensive than the patches, although it appears to be always available.
There’s also a ‘generic’ brand of patches that have been available over the last few months; however, I’ve noticed when using these that I get a lot of breakthrough hot flushes, and my bladder control is compromised a little more. Also, they don’t stick as well as my normal brand. Saying that, it’s been a good thing to bring back Kegels into my daily life. They’ve helped a lot. But I’d still prefer the surety that my normal patches provide.
Also, being summer, with hot days, I don’t need my temperature going up and down like a yoyo. My air-conditioning bill is bad enough.
Today, the hormone gods were on my side. My chemist had just received a shipment of my favoured patches. Would I like two-months’ supply?
Would a woman prefer to encounter a bear in the woods? Too bloody right.
I’m set for the next two months.
Many other women will not be. I asked if the chemist had the next strength down (75 micrograms) as I have a prescription for these, hoping that I can start to wean myself off the higher dose. These weren’t in stock. I pity women who have these as their normal patch strength.
It’s my belief that if men had to endure menopausal symptoms, they would have found a solution decades ago, but as this, until recently, has been one of the least researched area of women’s conditions, we’re only just finding more options for treatment. Most women who reach their forties and fifties will have some symptoms. Some women experience far more debilitating than others. In centuries past they used to throw women into mental institutions with hysteria as their menopause cure all.
Depending on your doctor, you still might be diagnosed with some mental condition and put on anti-depressants**.
Finally, there are doctors, general practitioners, who specialise in treating perimenopausal and menopausal women. Doctors who listen, investigate, talk, diagnose, test and assist.
Women are talking about this. If you’re in Australia, the Facebook group Perimenopause and Menopause Australia is an excellent resource, with information about HRT/MRT and options for doctors who specialise in the treatment of menopause symptoms.
Regardless, I am happy. I have two months to enjoy being relatively cool and calm with less of a chance of pissing my pants.
They call this living the dream.
*HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy. MHT - Menopause Hormone Therapy. They’re the same thing, the latter being the more relevant name for it all.
** Some women have medical conditions which preclude them from using MHT. In some cases, anti-depressants can assist with menopausal symptoms with great success.
First published on my Substack account.
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