Patch higher estrogen than pill?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-11-2003
Patch higher estrogen than pill?
9
Sun, 04-18-2004 - 5:43pm
I'm a little confused because I was on the Nuva Ring site in case the patch doesn't work for me, and found a comparison between the pill, patch, and Nuva Ring. It indicated, unless I read it wrong, that that patch put more estrogen into your system than the pill did? Is this correct? I thought that the patch had 20 mcg of estrogen while the pill ranged from either 20 mcg to about 35 mcg or more of estrogen. Would that not make the patch lower in total estrogen or is it different because of the way it's absorbed or because you leave it on all day?

Thanks for any responses. And if this already posted, I'm sorry, I tried to do it earlier, but didn't see it on the board.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 04-18-2004 - 9:36pm

Hi sc,


The patch releases ~20mcg of estrogen per day, which puts it on par with 'ultra low dose' pills.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-11-2003
Sun, 04-18-2004 - 10:18pm
Thanks so much for your reply. I have an absolute paranoia of breast cancer because it runs in my family (extended, not immediate)and I seem to have a lot of the statistics that people who get breast cancer have (period starting really young, etc.) and I thought that I was doing well by switching to the patch, which had the 20 mcg of estrogen instead of the 30/40/30 and 35 mcgs of estrogen that the pills I used to take had. When I saw that at the Nuva Ring site, it just freaked me out. But I'm really glad you put it in perspective. As long as it's low dose, I feel better.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 04-18-2004 - 11:54pm

I can sympathize - it's in my family as well.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 11:16am
As someone with an all-of-a-sudden family history with breast cancer (in the last 3 years, my mom and aunt have each been diagnosed, but they have different types, which is weird), i don't let it worry me. i too have all the "probability factors" and, in fact, have been told to get a mammogram at age 30 "at the latest." I don't let it worry me. Yes, i've been on the Pill since I was 16 (and I'm 21 now), yes I got my period early, I have nearly all the risk factors, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Worrying never did anyone any good!

Personally, I don't intend to have a mammogram until they've come up with a device that can scan the breast without slamming it in between two metal plates!!! For us small-chested people, that's dang near impossible! Furthermore, as my mom put it, if testing for testicular cancer involved slamming a guy's testicles in between two cold metal plates repeatedly, some guy would have come up with a better process by now. I'm holding out for that better process! And as for breast self-exams, heck - mine are so small I'd probably SEE a lump before I could feel it! LOL

I know, I know, I'm bad. Just had to rant.

Caitlin

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 5:29pm

hehe...you're cracking me up, Caitlin.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 6:34pm
OMG, a large C... Well, good for you! Let us know how it goes. Wishing you well on your surgery. It's a good thing DF is a 'leg man' because all I have is As!

To get back on topic Mandy, these quotes are from the perscribing info for Ortho Evra:

"Following application of ORTHO EVRA ® , both norelgestromin and EE rapidly appear in the serum, reach a plateau by approximately 48 hours, and are maintained at an approximate steady-state throughout the wear period. C SS concentrations for norelgestromin and EE during one week of patch wear are approximately 0.6-0.8 ng/ml and 40-50 pg/ml, respectively, and are generally consistent from all studies and

application sites. These C SS concentrations are within the reference ranges for norelgestromin (0.6 to 1.2 ng/ml) and EE (25 to 75 pg/ml) established based upon the Cave concentrations observed with subjects taking ORTHO-CYCLEN ®."

"Daily absorption of norelgestromin and EE from ORTHO EVRA ® was determined by comparison to an intra-venous infusion of norelgestromin and EE. The results indicated that the average dose of norelgestromin and EE absorbed into the systemic circulation is 150 mcg/day and 20 mcg/day, respectively."

Which of them estrogen blood serum levels or daily absorption do you think are most important as far as side effects go?

Hugs

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 10:21pm

Thanks Jill!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-11-2003
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 10:40pm
Thanks for all your answers, guys. Good luck with the implants Marrymeflyfree. I'm a B cup which doesn't look bad on me because I'm real short and thin but I sure wouldn't mind Cs at all and think they would look even better. I was kind of hoping the patch would increase mine, but oh, well, hasn't happened yet. :)Hope all goes well, and I'm sure it will be fine.

Yeah, I panic too much about estrogen, I think, but I'm scared of breast cancer and my periods and cramps were soooo horrible before the pill and patch that I can't imagine having to go back to not having any hormonal contraception. The whole reason I was originally put on it was because they were so bad I would have miss school and stuff. It felt reassuring to know that some of you have some of the same histories and that you went ahead and got on it, also.

At any rate, thanks again for all of your information. I appreciate it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 11:34pm
That's why I started bcp's too.
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