Product Review: Vivelle Dot Hormone Replacement Patch

After having a hysterectomy I was flooded with choices for hormone replacement, together with my doctor, I decided to try Vivelle Dot and it was the greatest decision I could have ever made. Vivelle Dot is discreet, functional and really works. I give it four and a half out of five stars.

The Vivelle Dot patch is one of the newer hormone replacement patches available to women who have naturally gone through menopause or have been affected by surgical menopause. The strengths are available from 0.0375 mg/day to 0.1 mg/day. Remember to talk with your doctor about the proper dosage for you. Even though the patch works fantastically, as with any product there are PROS and CONS.

PROS:

Size: The Vivelle Dot is the smallest available hormone replacement patch on the market. The 0.5 mg/day patch is the size of a postage stamp and even the 0.1 mg/day patch is only slightly larger. You certainly will have no trouble hiding this during even the most intimate of times.

Stick: Hormone replacement patches have gotten grief in the past from a large number of women in regards to the patch staying on the skin. The Vivelle Dot certainly does not have that problem. The patch is placed anywhere below the waistline on the abdomen and being a plus size woman, I thought this would be a problem. Through showers and clothing changes, I have never had a patch fall off. Once it's on, it stays on.

Price: Even without insurance coverage, the Vivelle Dot is relatively inexpensive. Ranging from $40 - $60 for a one months supply may seem a little high, but the convenience of a patch versus a pill and the ease of use all make the Vivelle Dot patch, a great deal.

CONS:

Schedule:

The Vivelle Dot schedule says the patch is to be changed twice a week. You choose the perfect pattern for your change based on when you applied the first patch. With each week having seven days, it is hard to change the Vivelle Dot evenly in the middle of the week. The Vivelle Dot is only effective for 3 ½ days but the schedule is set up for you to change the patch after 3 days and then again after 4 days. The second half of the 4^th day leaves you with no hormonal coverage. Here in lies the problem.