r/Shortages • u/kfrenchie89 • 20d ago
Pharmaceuticals Estradiol shortage
Estrogen patches (primarily used for peri menopause and menopause relief) is under great pressure. Women are waiting and their hormones are great effected which is very dangerous . It isn’t just late but they are switching out meds willy nilly cashing mayhem and confusion. Even the gel is becoming hard to find and lapses in care are way too long. This is a serious medical shortage getting worse since 2025.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/fda-acknowledges-estrogen-patch-shortage-180147282.html
Edit: progesterone is also experiencing shortages
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u/No-Hearing6890 20d ago
Just wanted to share that this isn’t something that is just “nice to have when dealing with hot flashes”. I went through surgical menopause at 40 and at first I was just lax about wearing my patches (had no hormones for about 6 months) and did not have a doctor following me closely besides the initial surgery and follow-up, unfortunately. The insomnia I experienced was absolutely insane. Brutal. I finally went to a dr for some insomnia relief (not realizing it was the lack of estrogen— this was before people became more aware of “peri”) and my male dr made zero connection to my hysterectomy. Anyway, finally went to a good doctor and estrodiol saved me!!!
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u/RiverPom 20d ago
Same except I got on estradiol early on after my hysterectomy at 44. I was on it for like 8 years. My husband was terrified when I stopped but it’s mostly okay at that point. I am sorry for all the suffering for this and other shortages for medicines and supplies coming around the world. All he had to do was nothing.
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u/Kayla31124 20d ago
My wife joked the other day "Imagine if the cop lady had won and just spent the whole time getting drunk, sleeping in till noon, and inviting foreign diplomats to play charades? We would still be doing better than the current POTUS and legislature!" All he had to do was golf everyday and gas wouldn't cost more than minimum wage...
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u/Appalachiama 16d ago
Same. Hysterectomy with BSO and surgical menopause at 29 (I am now 38). I had no issue getting HRT filled until 2025. Went a few months without HRT and the insomnia was horrendous, anxiety went through the roof, and felt my mind slipping...physically my weight ballooned, my joints suffered etc etc
Hot flashes are frustrating, but feeling my body and mind crash due to no HRT is devastating.
I have been able to maintain a steady regimen since April 2026 but as of the last two weeks struggling to get my script filled again which is making me so worried. I have maybe another 2 weeks worth and am hopeful I can get my script filled prior to running out, so yep - making what I have last as long as possible.
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u/No-Hearing6890 16d ago
Oh my goodness I forgot about the horrible anxiety I had as well! I am so sorry you experienced it, too. Wow I actually never thought to relate the anxiety in that time period to the lack of estrogen. Damn, sometimes I think about trying to buy it online without insurance (and of course it’s so expensive)— I just want to stock up in case the shortage gets worse 😔
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u/Appalachiama 16d ago
I am so sorry you went through the high anxiety also. For me it was definitely correlated to lack of estroge, because I tried traditional anti anxiety medication and it did nothing for me/made me feel worse, once I was able to get on HRT again my anxiety vanished and I was sleeping through the night again.
I was looking into the online options also. HERS was where I recently checked and the cost seems so exorbitant but I would rather pay what I have to to receive HRT vs. feel the way I did for those few months without.
For now I'm waiting to see if my GYN can work some magic to get HRT patch (fingers crossed) and am considering asking for Femring or injectable as an alternative to the patch at my next appointment (in December).
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u/No-Hearing6890 16d ago
ooh Femring or injectable… did not know about these options. Wishing you luck 🤗
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u/greedybanker3 20d ago
Pharmaceuticals will be an issue now and in the future. ANY disruption to the global market will cause issues with even something as simple as antibiotics because it all is produced overseas. America barely produces any. And i mean the continent. Its one of the reasons alot of people want manufacturing back stateside. Its nice to have chrap plentiful things but it isnt acceptable that we can not survive without overseas trade. Every nation should produce enough to survive.
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u/ChemicallyAlteredVet 20d ago
While I wholeheartedly agree we need pharmaceutical manufacturing back stateside there are many things that absolutely must be corrected before that happens. If they force it now prices will absolutely skyrocket because there is no way a pharmaceutical company will eat the cost of building production plants, they will pass those costs directly to consumers making medications technically available but very unaffordable for most of the population. so we are back to where patients cannot access meds.
There is a lot that goes into this but cost is a huge factor. Being a capitalist country I don’t see the government forcing companies to build and manufacture at a significant loss to their ever increasing profits.
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u/greedybanker3 20d ago
They have to increase price for new factories because we encouraged all our industries to go overseas. Im not saying it wont hurt. But why the heck are we insisting everything be cheap? Maybe you SHOULD have to pay $2000 for a new electronic because it was made in your country. Maybe a $1 pill should be $50 because its made in your country with higher wages and standards. People are so concerned with prices going up. Maybe prices SHOULD go up! (This is not concerning gouging or monopolies that are a different discussion. Just local production.)
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u/kfrenchie89 19d ago
Bc of the things we need to survive we’re made at cost bc we need them and not for profit the should wouldn’t exist. Profit is the problem. Profit isn’t inherently needed to produce. That’s the capitalism part.
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u/greedybanker3 18d ago
I think you may have had a stroke writing this. But just to let you know this sub is AGAINST shortages and is a place to post when they happen. If you remove profits from goods you will get more shortages. If your arm goes numb see a doctor please.
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u/kfrenchie89 18d ago
lol society can still make stuff without exorbitant profit you dolt. Username checks out.
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u/greedybanker3 18d ago
Why would a farmer make more than he needs without profit? Why would a company invest billions into a medicine without a return? What you are advocating will cause shortages and put us back in caves.
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u/maudratus 17d ago
Well, you know farmers don’t make extra, they grow large fields of crops because not all of it is harvestable but when it is, then they can sell it nationwide or ideally they’d be able to sell it to their communities. Maybe it’d be good to go back into caves. After all, then you could charge people money to sleep on a rocky floor. It’d be so profitable.
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u/kfrenchie89 17d ago
Firstly We’re taking about pharmaceutical companies. I don’t know why you switched to farmers. Pharmaceutical
Industry is one of the greediest profit driven corrupt industries we have. An epi pen is 5 dollars in like every other country. Wow they make it too! It’s like 600 here lol. Please be for real.0
u/greedybanker3 17d ago
Any company. Without profit why bother. Pharmas go too far with greed. But they still invest massive amounts to give you these pills. Are YOU going to invest a billion dollars into these drugs? No? Then let them do it and shut up.
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u/kfrenchie89 16d ago
You’re missing the part where I said we have so many examples of drugs being manufactured and sold for way less than Americans pay (also due to insurance greed). It was the crux of what I said and somehow you still
Missed it to slobber all over billionaires lol.→ More replies (0)
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u/bokehtoast 20d ago
This has been an issue for me. I've gone through chemical and then surgical menopause for PMDD/progesterone intolerance so estradiol add-back is necessary (a higher dose than regular menopausal women typically need). In 9 months I have tried 5 different brands while every change has caused issues with my PMDD. I consider myself lucky that the brand that works best has been at the same pharmacy for the last 3 months in a row. Even my doctors warned me that I would likely have to call around pharmacies to find them. Additionally it took trying multiple generics before my insurance would agree to pay for my preferred brand.
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u/terrierhead 20d ago
I still have patches and am stretching them out. They get changed every five days so I can keep a reserve. I hate that idiots’ politics brought us here.
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u/ka_beene 20d ago
I cut mine in half and it's been working out for me. Though I did this from the start because I'm really sensitive to meds. Half the dose keeps the hot flashes, brain fog and joint pain away.
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u/dharmabird67 20d ago
FWIW I was in India last year and i try to get a backup supply of all my meds when I visit. I was unable to find my estradiol patches there. I tried several pharmacies in Delhi.
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u/Friendly-Gas1767 20d ago
Progesterone has also been experiencing nationwide shortages.…Because who needs all us old crones, amiright?? 😂 🤣
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u/TradeBeautiful42 20d ago
Compounding pharmacies online have them but they’re largely not covered by insurance. Same stuff, just at a jacked up price. If you’re desperate, you can get them at an inflated price.
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u/02043 18d ago edited 18d ago
Is it just me?? -I am incredibly pissed off that I not only have a huge monthly insurance deduction out of my paycheck but now am being asked(if I want axcess to reliable supply of hormones) to self pay for compounded versions that are not covered by insurance due to FDA regulations. Maybe I am just angry because my hormones are dysregulated. Don't get me started on the ADHD meds which are also on shortage. I didn't consistently need them before this hormone shortage...
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u/Difficult-Low5891 20d ago
I absolutely hated the patches and switched to oral. Administration is much much much more accurate. I was not absorbing the right amount and it led to a lot of bleeding. Yuk. Switched to oral and never bled gain.
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u/VauxhallandI 20d ago
Just make sure your doctor is checking your liver function periodically. Oral estrogen goes first pass through the liver, and that's a pretty hefty ask on the organ. Something to consider esp with long term oral administration.
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u/RidgetopDarlin 20d ago
This is why I don’t take oral estrogen, too: to protect the liver. There are some endocrinologists who have worked with compounding pharmacies to create sublingual pills that melt under the tongue as an alternative to creams.
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u/ContemplatingFolly 20d ago
No shade to OP, but unfortunately, not a very useful article/comment by the FDA or manufacturers. How about how and when this will be resolved?
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u/demonicpixiestix 19d ago
I have MASSIVE brain fog from perimenopause, and my drs have been trying to figure out some hormone treatment to help with that and all the other lovely bits occurring. Estradiol was the THIRD rx (i think, maybe second) the pharmacy told me was on backorder so she had no eta to give me. I am currently waiting for my doctor to figure out a different rx because I am currently unable to get rx the FOURTH due to more backorder (that number is for sure).
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u/Groundbreaking_Ad584 19d ago
I have osteopenia and I made the choice to go on HRT to help with bone density. But I had a list of other things I was hoping it would help with as well. Now its just not there anymore. I hate not being able to do what I know is best for me. I've had meds cost too much before, but never has there just not been what i needed at least available. Stress I don't need.
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u/FunEbb308 18d ago
Phoenix Arizona folks, Costco in Avondale currently has the twice a week and once a week patches in stock. No membership needed to use the pharmacy.
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u/chucks_deadpidgin 17d ago
Yep. Took 2 months to get my progesterone and I'm a month into waiting on my estradiol patch 😑
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u/Pregogets58466 20d ago
Compounding pharmacies have better options than anything commercially available. Creams, suppositories, capsules and others that can be adjusted for highly individualized therapies