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[Morwenna]

I'm hoping someone can help with this query. My GP agreed to let me move from Femoston Sequi 2/10 to Femoston Conti and I take my last tablet of the sequi cycle today. On the instruction sheet of the conti version it advises to start taking them straight away on the 29th day. Does anyone know whether I will experience the usual bleed? I suspect I might not being as the conti tablets contain progesterone. I would prefer to have a bleed as I'm worried the uterus lining may have built up due to the oestrogen only tablets at the start of my last cycle. I could of course not start the new tablets straight away to induce a bleed but this would mean no HRT for a few days - any words of wisdom? I'm confused! 

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Morwenna
I'd start straight away - you will probably get the usual bleed and in fact you may well get more bleeding and spotting over the first few weeks or even months while your body gets used to this new regime.  It can take up to 6 months before the spotting completely stops - it could be just a bit of brown discharge now and again. If you get heavy bleeding (which is unlikely) then you need to get this checked.
Please don't worry about the lining building up - the continuous progesterone will take care of that. DG x

[Hurdity]

Hi Morwenna

I agree with Dancinggirl ie start straight away.

Re your usual bleed and shedding your lining - in fact if you look at the progesterone dose in Femoston sequi it's 10 mg per day for both 1/10 and 2/10 whereas in conti it's 5 mg. Therefore the levels of progesterone in your body will fall and this is likely to trigger a bleed and hopefully shed much of your lining.

Hurdity x

[Morwenna]

Ah thanks ladies - I had it in my head the progesterone was still 10mg 

[English Rose]

Hi Morwenna
I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you get on with the change from sequi to conti?
I'm about to change from Femoston 1/10 to Femoston Conti. The 1/10 has suited me well over the last 3 years - but I'm just a bit fed up with withdrawal bleeds and having a few issues with this now, so GP says it will be OK to crossover to Conti. I'm nearly finished my 1/10 pack and was thinking of having a few days off HRT while I have my (hopefully last) bleed before switching to Conti. I know the instructions say go straight from one pack to the next but it concerns me that if I do this then I won't have a withdrawal bleed, even though the dose of progesterone is lower in the Conti (5mg instead of 10mg).
Any tips?
Many thanks
ER x

[Morwenna]

ER I love Femoston Conti. I too was concerned about not having a withdrawal bleed before I started it but carried on anyway - I haven't had a bleed since...  I'm on to the fourth pack now... was expecting some break through bleeding at least but nothing. Maybe this means I am truly post menopause. I have experienced the return of a few hot flushes because I was on Femoston 2/10 before, but nothing I can't handle. Only two or three during the night and a couple during the day. I feel a lot less tired on conti and seem to manage on less sleep too. And I've been quite even in terms of mood even though my long term relationship has been going to hell in a handcart! All in all I give it a  and would be interested to hear how you go on 

[English Rose]

Hi Morwenna
Thanks very much for your reply - that sounds like good news. I am looking forward to no longer having bleeds/ feeling a bit groggy for a few days a month. I have had no issues with Femoston and my symptoms are well controlled generally, I've preferred to stay on the 1mg dose up to now.
Sorry to hear about your LTR, I think the menopause can be a trying time for relationships. I've been married for a lifetime more or less, and my hubby has the patience of a saint despite my ups and downs of the last few years. A bit like puberty in reverse!!  Ah, in my next life I will be a man....
Will try and remember to report back in a while, once settled on the Conti. Thanks again,
ER x

[Jennifer3318]

Hello all, I've been on Femoston conti for 6 weeks and have had three lots of bleeding (about 7 days eAch time) so bleeding every other week.  Should I just give up or try something else? I am nearly 54. Thanks for any suggestions x

[Greyhoundgal]

I did the same change last September.  I started the conti the next day after finishing the previous pack and did have a withdrawal bleed at the time I would have had one but it was very light and only lasted about 2/3 days.  My practise nurse had told me to let her know if I had a bleed which I did but it was fine, just had to let her know if it happened again.  That was the last one I had (thank goodness, was getting fed up with it) and the change has been plain-sailing for me - hope it all works out for you as well.

[Sunnydays]

I'm glad to hear that the conti is working well for you ) have you had any issues with headaches? I'm still trying to find the right hrt for me. Patches have been recommended and I've been told to resort to tablet form asset resort as I seem to get migraines but I hear such positive comments about femostons progesterone.

[Sphere27]

I am on femoston Conti and been getting headaches. They start about an hour
After I have taken tablet. I was on them before with no issues until I had a bit
Of a crash then tried something else which made me worse. Now back to Conti and
Now getting these ghastly headaches and anxiety. Good luck x

[Hurdity]

Hello all, I've been on Femoston conti for 6 weeks and have had three lots of bleeding (about 7 days eAch time) so bleeding every other week.  Should I just give up or try something else? I am nearly 54. Thanks for any suggestions x

Hi Jennifer - are you post-menopausal - I presume so as you are on  conti?

Irregular bleeding and spotting is very common when you first start conti HRT - and depending on how long since your last period whether you have been without oestrogen for some time. The usual rule of thumb is to wait 6 months on conti HRT and go to the doc if it hasn't settled by then - unless of course you have cause to worry - eg you might want to make an appointment after 3 months to review? You mnay have been asked to do this anyway?

The other alternative if you don't want to wait that long is to ask to go on a cyclical HRT which would give a (hopefully light) withdrawal bleed every month - but at least you would know when it was coming!

If the HRT suits you generally then that might be the way to go - but you might try waiting a few more weeks and see if the bleeding tails off?

Hurdity x

[Jennifer3318]

Hi Hurdity, thank you for your reply it was really helpful. I don't really know if I'm post menopausal. I hadn't had a period for at least 8 months but went to the GP with awful vaginal soreness which I was given antibiotics for. These (obviously) didn't make any difference and I became very depressed. I was finally given oestragen cream and anti-depressants (didn't take these). The cream initially helped but then I got thrush which wouldn't go away. I'm now on femoston conti but hate all this bleeding, I can't plan to go anywhere as I never know when it's going to happen.  I am 54 next month. My GP is lovely but has not much experience with menopause and just looks in her medical dictionary. I have considered giving up on hrt but don't want the soreness to get bad again or to be depressed. X

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Jennifer3318 and welcome to MM
Hurdity has given you excellent advice and info. My feeling is that you have been given a conti HRt to soon as you are not post meno enough.  I think it's always a good idea to start on sequi first and then move onto a conti later if need be - many of us choose to stay on a sequi HRT as the progesterone can sometime give problems.
You may find the bleeding reduces and stops one the next few weeks. Femoston is a good HRt as it has a kinder progesterone so if you are generally feeling OK on this one I would stick with it.
As to the vagnial dryness, I use Vagifem alongside full systemic HRT to help keep things healthy down there.
Keep us posted about your progress.  DG x

[Greyhoundgal]

I'm glad to hear that the conti is working well for you ) have you had any issues with headaches? I'm still trying to find the right hrt for me. Patches have been recommended and I've been told to resort to tablet form asset resort as I seem to get migraines but I hear such positive comments about femostons progesterone.

No, no headaches at all.  When I was still on the Femoston sequi I actually felt better during the progesterone part of the pack so I think that is one of the reasons this one suits me so well.  I know I've been very lucky with my HRT, the first one I had suited me as does this one so I've never had to do the whole chopping and changing bit, must be a bit of a nightmare until you get it right......