My RE prescribes Estraderm patches and I HATE them. They are unbelievably itchy!

I remember someone recommending some other brand which is nto as bad as Estraderm. Can anyone tell me what they use?

And a question for those of us who take Metformin..... I am back on 1500 dose and it really kicks my butt. I remember to take it with my dinner which is supposed to reduce the side effects...but I have been running to the washroon 5-6 times the last two days and have lot of bloating.
So, do you have any suggestions or tricks to reduce this side effect?

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===============
Meenu
ET 11/19/07 5dp
beta# 1 11/29/01 = 186 beta #2 12/03/07 = 770 beta # 3 12/05/07 = 2008 Miscarriage at 5w2d
IVF # 2 Started Lupron 2/20/08 10 units Follistim 2/27/08 225 units ER 4/11/08
ER - 24 retrived, 19 mature and 13 fertilized
Chemical!

I'm on the vivelle patch. I don't have anything to compare them to, though, so I don't know if they are any better!

I am on Met 1500mg as well. When I take them before bed I have stomach cramps and diarrhea in the morning... I absolutely HAVE to take them with food... I've learned my lesson! I don't know what to do about the bloating, though. Maybe someone else will know some tricks!

__________________

Holly (29) & DH (33)

7/01 - m/c @ 11w
'01-'02 - 4 Chem Pg's (Natural)
2/03 - m/c @ 6w (Follistim/IUI)
5/18/03- Twin Boys (4th IUI)
5/05 - Chem Pg (Natural)
7/05 - failed IUI (#5)
All of '06 waiting to adopt... matched in August. Failed.
1/2007 - Matched with donor embies and about to cycle when got BFP.
2/12/07 - m/c @ 6w (loss #8 including chem's)
3/1/2007 - Began metformin
1/28/2008 - Transferred two donor embies
2/4/2008 - !!! Beta - 26 at 7dp3dt
2/6/2008 - Beta - 79 (but from a different lab)
2/8/2008 - Beta - 121 at 11dp3dt
2/11/2008 - Beta 314 at 14dp3dt
2/15/2008 - Beta 1640 at 18dp3dt!!
2/22/2008 - 6w u/s showed 1 healthy baby with hb!
3/13/2008 - U/S showed hb of 167!

I took Vivelle Dots as well. I did not have itching, just lots of black sticky marks from the glue in the patches.

__________________
Alita, Host of Gay/Lesbian Pregnancy Board







IVF w/ ICSI #1
Retrieval 4/17
23 eggs, 16 mature, 13 fertilized, 4
Transfer cancelled due to OHSS

5/25/07 FET--transferred 2 grade 2 embryos
6/4/07 HPT (13 dpo)
6/5/07 Beta #1 (14 dpo) = 346

Hey-- any tips on getting the goo off??? I'm wearing 4 at a time so I have 4 patches and four ghost-goo-patches! Yuck!

__________________

Holly (29) & DH (33)

7/01 - m/c @ 11w
'01-'02 - 4 Chem Pg's (Natural)
2/03 - m/c @ 6w (Follistim/IUI)
5/18/03- Twin Boys (4th IUI)
5/05 - Chem Pg (Natural)
7/05 - failed IUI (#5)
All of '06 waiting to adopt... matched in August. Failed.
1/2007 - Matched with donor embies and about to cycle when got BFP.
2/12/07 - m/c @ 6w (loss #8 including chem's)
3/1/2007 - Began metformin
1/28/2008 - Transferred two donor embies
2/4/2008 - !!! Beta - 26 at 7dp3dt
2/6/2008 - Beta - 79 (but from a different lab)
2/8/2008 - Beta - 121 at 11dp3dt
2/11/2008 - Beta 314 at 14dp3dt
2/15/2008 - Beta 1640 at 18dp3dt!!
2/22/2008 - 6w u/s showed 1 healthy baby with hb!
3/13/2008 - U/S showed hb of 167!

I took Vivelle dots too, and they are very sticky but I did not have any itching.

Janay

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JANAY-34
DH-Scott 34
Married July 1999
TTC#1 since 2000
DX endo (stage IV), MTHFR
IVF#1 BFN
IVF#2 fall 08
started acupuncture Oct 1st
starting DHEA end of Oct

I took Vivelle before too. No itching here either.

The best way to get that sticky stuff off is to take an alcohol pad (the one you use when doing a shot) and rub it over the black sticky stuff. It takes a little while but just keep rubbing (gently) and the stickies will come right off. I am so glad I figured this out b/c that stuff drove me crazy!

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We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.
- Maya Angelou

Janine (34)
DH, John (35)



My History

TTC #1 -- 21 months
IVF #1 (3/05) - BFP
Beta 220 on 9dp5dt
-----------------------
TTC #2 -- 12 months
IVF #1 - FET (10/06) - BFN
IVF #2 (12/06) - BFN
IVF #3 (3/07) - BFN
IVF #4 (5/07) - BFN
IVF #5 (9/07) - BFN
IVF #6 - FET (12/07) - BFN
IVF #7- FET (3/08) - Chemical
TTC on own (4/08) - Chemical #2
TTC on own (5/08) - BFP (it's a miracle!)
DUE 2/15 ~ it's a GIRL!!!

The Vivelle patches never itched for me either.

I agree with the part about the alcohol. If you rub a little bit, it comes off pretty easily. However, after a few weeks of them (I was on them for like 14 weeks total) I just gave up on trying to get the goop off, and just had all of the patches and patch spots going on. It was terribly sexy!

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Carrie/Care75 (32)
DP- Suz (35)
Together 7 years!

TTC #1 since 04/05
9 home inseminations (5 with clomid)- BFN
6 injectable/IUI cycles- BFN
IVF November 2006- ET cancelled due to extensive fragmentation and poor development. Diagnosed with poor egg quality (poor cytoplasm)

DEFET- June 2007- 2 blasts transferred.
Beta #1 (6/22/07)- 65 (8dp5dt) !
Beta #2 (6/25/07)- 215 (11dp5dt)
Beta #3 (7/2/07)- 3904 (18dp5dt)

It's BOY/GIRL TWINS!!!

Baby oil helps get the goop off as well.

__________________
AJ

30
Clomid BFN
Clomid BFN
IUI with injectables - BFN
IUI with injectables - BFP, miscarriage
IVF #1, BFN
IVF #2, BFN
IVF #3, 5 blasts frozen, no transfer
IVF #4, BFP, It's twins. Due Oct. 9th.