When I began using Depo Provera for endometriosis and then had my uterus and an ovary removed in the early 90's, I started leaking urine and had to start wearing light pads every day. I'm only 39 and am tired of this. Just started using Estrace. Hoping and praying that because of the time that has past since my hysterectomy, the hormones from Estrace will not trigger a relapse of endometriosis. So, I have two questions: 1. Has anyone used Estrace to control leakage and benefited from it? 2. Is anyone using Estrace cream who has had endo? Any return of endo? Thanks so much for any input.

I have been using an estrogen gel for several months. It does help moisturize the vaginal tissues. I used it daily for I think a week, then cut back to a maintenance dose of once a week. I noticed a difference after a few weeks. The gel is a bit messy as it liquifies quicker than the cream, but I had a reaction to the cream. I get the gel from a compounding pharmacy. The gel doesn't tackle my other symptoms, the main one being hotflashes, so I take a low oral dose of estradiol daily. The only side effect is breast sensitivity(from the oral med), but I can live with that. I can't live with the hotflashes. I've been on HRT for several years. I tried many types of estrogen after trying natural remedies(and other meds)first with no success. I get my blood tests done regularly and take the lowest dose that stops my symptoms. I would go ahead and try the cream to see if it helps. Just pay attention to how your body reacts and let your doctor know how it's going.

Expanding on what others have said, the estrogen creams and gels for skin, as opposed to vaginal, use are prescription forms, made up by a compounding pharmacist to a prescription written by your own doctor (the pharmacist can help him with that if he is unfamiliar with how to write this kind of prescription). There are compounding pharmacists in Canada and they can make up these forms of HRT, but they are somewhat harder to locate (less common) than in the US. The main difference between using a topical cream/gel and using a patch is that the patch gives a steady release over the life of the patch (more or less) where the topicals give more of a curved effect, peaking after the dose and then dropping off till the next dose. Whether or not that makes a difference to any particular woman seems to be an individual thing: some dose with topicals once or twice a day and do fine; others have to go to multiple doses to avoid too much variation in hormone levels. The vehicle (there are a number of different cream bases, not to mention the gel) and where you put it (fatty tissue versus not) also affect the length and shape of the absorption/circulation curve. So, as with everything else menopausal, there's a lot of personal variation and you may have to experiment some to find the best one for your own body. There are, as Leigh notes, no effective over the counter variations on estrogen creams and gels.

Norma Jean: Get your self some cranberry juice. Make sure it is 100% pure and not a drink with only a bit of juice and the rest fillers and water. Drink 7 or 8 ounces daily. If you find it too tart or bitter mix it with some apple juice. Cranberries are excellent for helping cure, but mainly preventing bladder infections. This is an ancient native American treatment and even some doctors recommend it to their patients, especially if they have recurring bladder infections. It prevents the bacteria that causes bladder infections, from attaching to the walls of the bladder. Use the cream to get rid of the infection and the cranberry juice to help and prevent further infections. Your feeling sad probably has to do a little with menopause but I would think that being in pain is what is depressing you too. The hot flashes may lessen too if you are in a happier frame of mind. If possible get out of the house and do things to take your mind off of things. The best cure for depression is to do things for others. You have people here to talk to, so post again if you need to. I wish you the best