Hi all - I've just started the Vivelle Dot (.05 mg) about 2 weeks ago. It's mostly taken away the night sweats and reduced the anxiety somewhat, but that's about it - still have major insomnia, really foggy brain and GI troubles (nausea/ absolutely no appetite), no energy. If you use the patch, just wondering how long it took to kick in, what dosage you use, do you have to change it early?, have you had to change your dosage? I guess my mind is racing ahead here (as usual) and I'm worried that I will need lots more estradiol to feel better. The patch only goes up to .1 mg, then what? Am I out of luck? (I was on Activella for about 5 weeks - that did just about the same that I'm getting so far from the .05 patch.)

I am also curious to see what dosage works for others. I started out on the .05 Vivelle and it did help relieve hot flashes and night sweats somewhat but I felt I could do better with a higher dose. I asked my gyn to up the dose a little and he gave me .075. I also stopped using progesterone cream at the same time I began the higher dose... but for the first time in 15 years my muscle pain and fatigue from fibromyalgia is for the most part GONE! The effects were pretty immediate... within a week. I suddenly have energy to hit the treadmill almost every night for 45 minutes of power walking and I am not getting sore from it! This just started a week and a half ago and I am PRAYING the effects are real and stay with me.. Oh please, please, PLEASE I hope this is the answer! I have lived with fibromyalgia for years. Prior to that I was such an active person. I am sitting here thinking that I feel good enough to ride my bike, hike, swim.. HaHa, if only it wasn't winter here! I have read that low estrogen can possibly be a cause for fibromyalgia, but I am very afraid to get my hopes up too much in case this remission doesn't last.

Happymom

Am sort of in your situation. Sometimes my post-meno system wants more E, sometimes lots more, sometimes less or none. For about 9 monhts, I fiddled around with Vivelle in different doses and never got it quite right. Once I put on a patch, I was stuck with it. If I took it off or added another, it took a few days to find out what worked. Meantime, I'd burned up my patch supply. Ended up switching to E gel which I can use as needed. Really sorts me out. Awhile ago, I needed a whole dose and lately hardly any. It still changes with me day to day, with the seasons I think.

As to how long, with me it was fast. Early on, when I was in the latter stages of peri, I started the patch. I had brain fog, insomnia, and zero energy. I found that it took away flashes and fatigue within a few hours. It only took a few hours of overnight to clear the flashes and fatigue. The fog didn't clear so well for me. Insomnia has been a constant with me for years so I can't comment on E's effect with that. Now, it's just fatigue and fog at times. The gel will work within the day, and just about all of it seems to clear with sunny weather. Good luck.

I started the vivelle dot at .025 because I insisted on starting at the lowest possible dose. Felt good, real good mentally but thought I needed more so talked to the doc and increased my dose to .0375 mg., which is when I developed brain fog. Thinking I needed more E, I asked doc to increase again to .05 mg. but was still foggy. I had to add otc progesterone cream for the fog to end. I needed the P to balance the E. I now use the Climara patch .1mg. and otc progesterone and feel pretty good.