Clarification on the estradiol patch: when I write or say estradiol patch 0.1 mg, I mean a patch that delivers 0.1 mg of estradiol per day. I do not mean changing the patch every day, and I get that's confusing so thank you for asking. I like the patch for this very thing... that it delivers a daily control release. The replacement schedule depends on the product: many estradiol patches, including Vivelle-Dot and several generics, are changed twice weekly, while some formulations such as Climara are changed once weekly. If you tried either, you know the patch gets quite grody by day 3, so I prefer the twice/week patch. Be sure you are consistent about changing it every 3.5 days, i.e., replace the patch on Sunday night and Thursday morning or whatever fits in your schedule best.

So if your patch is a 0.1 mg/day twice-weekly patch, that is a standard way this is prescribed.

Your larger story matters too: women know when something is off long before the system catches up. You did the hard thing and kept listening. It shouldn't be so hard to find a good clinician to offer these treatments. We need to change that.

JG, thank you for this and for being her. I love your comments and questions. I love how clearly you tracked your own body and kept going until you found clinicians willing to practice actual listening instead of those automatic reflexes that do not serve women.