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[Rosebush]

Ladies is anyone using F/Seven Conti 50 patches, if so, are you having a problem in getting them from Pharmacy, just called to pick up 12, but only got 8, told the company are having problems with the manufacture, telephoned another  9 Pharmacies none in stock! am I right in thinking there are only 2 types of Conti patches, the other one being Everol, which gave me dreadful headaches.. xx

[sharon1958]

Yes, I've been having trouble getting them now for a couple of months and even the manufacturer, Teva, don't know when they will be back in stock. She assured me that they haven't been discontinued but couldn't give me a date when they will be available again. My GP has given me Prempak C 0.65 instead but I'm not happy with them and wondering what to do in the meantime.

[Rosebush]

Thank you Sharon, I am away on hols for 2mths, so fingers crossed the problem will get solved by then, and I can get F.S patches on my return..is the Prempak a patch or tablet? what difference have you noticed, I only take HRT to help with hot sweats..xx

[sharon1958]

Prempak C are tablets and come in two strengths - I was given the lower strength but it doesn't suit me, makes me feel nauseous and the night sweats and palpitations have returned so I'll be going back to my GP. I prefer using patches to tablets as there are meant to be less health risks etc. Before I was on F.S. I was on Evorel patches but after a few years they started causing heavy bleeding hence the change to F.S. which I've been happy on.  Enjoy your hols 

[Hurdity]

Oh dear sharon1958 - have you started the Prempak? That's terrible to give you a tablet instead of a patch, especially Prempak as the oestrogens are different - they are horse oestrogens, and the synthetic progestogen is also different! That's a lot to suddenly have to get used to.

Anyone who can't get hold of them and doesn't want/can't take the Evorel - you can have oestrogen patches ( there are about 5 different types to choose from) with separate progestogen - either the synthetic Provera or micronised progesterone - Utrogestan.

Here are all the options. No doctor should prescribe a tablet, as an alternative due to lack of supply, especially a completely different one,. For example the alternative to Femseven should have been Femoston!

Here are all the options:

Oestrogen patches - scroll down:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php

Progestogens:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php

Tablet HRT closer to Femseven (Femoston 1/10 or 2/10):
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php

Hurdity x

[sharon1958]

Thank you Hurdity for the info. To be honest I feel absolutely lousy at the moment  and not sure if it's from the 11 days of the Prempak C that I took or a virus. Nauseous on and off. I stopped taking the Prempak about 4 days ago - could it still be in my system? It's worse than being pregnant!! Have got an appt with my GP again next week and will take your advice with me
What a great forum this is for advice and support etc.

[Hurdity]

Sorry to hear this sharon1958

Oestrogen can cause nausea initially though but it should settle after a while

Hope you feel better soon!

Hurdity x

[Shazzie]

Hiya

I've had a prescription in my chemist for the last 2 months.  They are having trouble getting the patches from the manufacturer.

Nightmare isn't it?

Hope you get sorted soon.

Shazzie x

[sharon1958]

What are you using in the meantime Shazzie?

[Rosebush]

Ladies just been to Pharmacist, to ask if he has any news on F.S, my script was for 12 patches but only got 8 last week..he rang the manufacturer's who said they are not making the 4pack anymore only the 12, and should have stock out at /or before end of March..he said he will sort out the odd 4 patches for me...really hope this happens as I do not want tabs..and Everol patches did not suit..Sharon hope you can get some also, will you post if you do..Hope you are feeling a tad better to day..xx

Shaz are you coping without Hrt ?. xx

Hurdity thanks for posting the very useful info..i have copied for when I get back, just incase..xx

[Shazzie]

Hi Rosebush and Sharon

I managed to get 4 from Boots that they had spare so they loaned them to me.  I don't know what I am going to do when they run out in a month.  Hopefully they will get the new stock in before then.  The pharmacist said she would ring me when they come in.

Bit of a nightmare really isn't it.

Also I started spotting yesterday.  First time for almost a year.  All going a bit wrong lately.

Has anyone else had spotting probs while on the patches?

Hope we all manage to get them soon.  I don't want the hot flushes and palpitations to start up again.

Shazzie xx

[sharon1958]

Have had the occasional spotting with Femseven but hardly noticeable. With Evorel Conti I had heavy bleeding hence the change. Am getting night palpitations though - this has been going on for a few months now every night and is making me feel quite rough the next day so I am wondering if even the Femseven are enough - would this mean higher estrogen or progesterone in your experience Hurdity? Have appt with GP next week to review things.

[sharon1958]

The saga continues! Whilst I have an appt to see my GP next Thursday in the meantime he has sent Femoston conti - 0.5mg/2.5mg which seems to come under the very low dose HRT and I don't think this will be strong enough for me. Is it worth me starting on these and then perhaps doubling up? The night palpitations are just as bad even with 20mg Propranalol last night 

[Hurdity]

Hi sharon1958

Sorry I can't help re the palpitations - it's not something I've looked into as I haven't really had them. I know some women suffer from them as a symptpom of menopause, but sometimes also a sudden high dose of oestrogen also causes these from what I've read on here. I'm not sure if this is a side effect of norethisterone that women can experience, although it doesn't seem to be listed.

What I'm confused about and I didn't pick up before is that you were on a conti - Femseven, and then prescribed Prempak which is a cyclical HRT designed to give a bleed. If you are post-menopausal then you were definitely prescribed the wrong type of HRT by a (sadly) ignorant GP - unless it was deliberate and explained to you.

I presume you took the first lot of tablets for the 11 days - which would have been oestrogen only? This means you may expect to get a slight bleed/spotting as the lining will have built up a little during this time. When you are on the conti HRT it should gradually thin under the influence of the progestogen - well that's the theory!

Yes that is an ultra low dose which will bear little comparison with the 50 mcg patches you are used to. Even without consulting the GP I know I can safely say double the tablets to give somewhere like an approximation of the same dose - although building up gradually is often recommended with oestrogen, to minimise side effects. If you look at the HRT preparations you will see that Femoston conti low dose is double that of the ultra low dose so you will be getting the right amount of progestogen.
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php

Hope the palpitations improve and hopefully someone else might be able to advise.

Hurdity x

[sharon1958]

Thanks again Hurdity - your posts, advice and support are always so helpful  I found a pack of 4 Femseven Conti in my drawer which I'm taking in the meantime so haven't started the Femoston just yet. I actually think the Evorel Conti suited me better to be honest but they caused breakthrough bleeding - would that be because they are stronger than Femseven? I thought all Conti type HRT's shouldn't cause a bleed.

Sharon