Shelley, what a brilliant idea - putting the patch on my shoulder or upper arm. You've saved the day! (I am such a sheep - years ago I was told to put them on my lower abdomen and I've been doing that without question ever since!)

With regard to switching from patch to oral. I tried that a few years ago with disastrous results. I was under the weather for weeks.

I now suspect that my liver was the problem since oral HRT goes through it and it was probably an added burden.

However, for a year now I've been cleaning up my diet and my body and am definitely getting stronger. So I have decided to use the protocol in "No More HRTL: Menopause - Treat the Cause" by Jensen and Venderhaughe. I wonder if you or anyone here has
heard of it. (You basically start using the patch less and less and take some herbal supplements to compensate).

I sure hope it works this time. I can put up with the hot flashes (in Ontario, we can always go stand in a snow bank in the winter). But my mood swings were nasty. Once I tried to go cold turkey and I was so awful, I hated myself - and went right back on the patch full time

Cheers Shelley - and bless you for being so helpful to others - Penny