Estraderm Dosage: An Introduction
The dose of
Estraderm® (estradiol patch) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- How you respond to Estraderm
- Whether you have had a hysterectomy
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As always, do not adjust your Estraderm dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
It is typically recommended that this medication be taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible period of time. However, the most effective dose (and how long it should be taken) can vary considerably from one woman to the next. For most women, the recommended starting Estraderm dose is one 0.05 mg patch applied twice a week. If necessary, your healthcare provider may increase your dose.
If you still have a uterus (if you have not had a hysterectomy), your healthcare provider may recommend that you take Estraderm cyclically, using it for three weeks, followed by a one-week break. In most cases, this causes regular, menstrual-like bleeding. If you have had a hysterectomy, your healthcare provider will probably recommend that you take Estraderm continuously, without any breaks.
General Information on Dosing With Estraderm
Some considerations for people using Estraderm include the following:
- Estraderm comes as a skin patch. It is changed twice a week.
- Apply the Estraderm patch to an area of clean, dry skin on your trunk (including your buttocks and abdomen but not the breasts). Choose a spot that is not exposed to sunlight.
- Rotate the application sites, so that you do not apply a patch to the same place twice in a row.
- Try to avoid placing the patch right at the waistline, since your clothes may rub against the patch and loosen it.
- Dispose of an old patch by folding it in half and throwing it away, out of reach of children or pets. Do not flush it down the toilet.
- If a little adhesive remains on your skin after removing a patch, a little lotion or body oil can help to remove it.
- Estraderm can be used continuously (without any breaks) or cyclically (such as three weeks on the drug, one week off). Your healthcare provider will help you decide how to use it.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be used as prescribed.
- If you are unsure about anything related to your Estraderm dosage, please talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
