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[Londongirl]

On a few occasions last year I've experienced the odd period but this was put down to either forgetting to take my HRT (once only) or on another occasion taking two instead of the usual one a day (femoston conti). My GP even referred me to hospital where I had a biopsy and scan and no concerns arose out of that

Picked up my latest batch from a different pharmacy and I noticed it's a different brand. I've just started a new pack last week and am now bleeding with period like cramps (also had extreme bloating a few days ago and have felt tired).

My question is - can a different brand of HRT cause hormonal changes (ie bring on a period)?

Only other thought was that I went away two weeks ago and could the changes in altitude have a bearing ? Week in mountains?

I've been post memo for years and periods stopped 7 years ago

Thanks
Anna

[Hurdity]

Hi Londongirl

What is the brand you have been given?

The answer is yes because even if they are the same estradiol dose then the progestogen will be different from Femoston (that's the only one with that type of prog in it = dydrogesterone), and they differ in how powerful they are in protecting the endometrium. I suspect you were on Femoston conti 1/5 rather than the ultra low dose, and you have been changed to something like Kliovance? The side effects may well be due to the progestogen in that one which is sometimes not as well tolerated as the one in Femoston. Most conti HRT can cause bleeding for the first few months of use and your body will have to settle with this new type - if you want to continue with it that is...

Really they should not have changed your HRT without discussing with you - it is not like generics vs other brands. It sounds like you have been given a completely different type so that's not on!

Not sure about the effect of mountains - sorry can't answer that... - but most likely due to the different prog.

I would query this with pharmacy/doc because they should not have done this!

Hurdity x

[Londongirl]

Hi Hurdity

Thanks for the reply.

It's definitely same dose - Femoston Conti 0.5mg/2.5mg.

The previous brand or manufacturer was Abbot Laboratories but this latest batch is BGP Products and produced in Poland as there are even stickers over the strip where the Polish day letters have had to be obscured with English versions ie Mon, Tue, etc

Thanks
Anna

[jillydoll]

Hi London Girl.
I'm on femoston conti, and I've actually got the same thing.
On the actual foil strip, there's a piece of paper stuck on with the days in English. .?
They're still Femoston Conti, just a different manufacturer.
I haven't noticed any difference in them, tbh, I don't care where the chemist gets them from, as long as they're Femoston, that's all I care about...lol.
It actually says Femoston Conti on the box...
What does it say on your box?

Xx

[Hurdity]

Hi - apologies Londongirl - I see you did mean exactly the same type! That being the case I really wouldn't worry - you are taking a very low dose anyway so if you are experiencing breakthrough bleeding and cramping it won't be due to difference in the HRT as such.

I looked up all those companies and they are one and the same - subsidiaries. BGP products = Mylan (the company listed on the eMC directory of UK medicines), and are a subsidoary of Abbott from what I can glean from a brief look at the web. The patient leaflet will say where the product was manufactured and the licence holder etc. In the EU there can be parallel imports so the one you have may have been packaged for the Polish market. I very much doubt there has been a change in manufacturer judging by the info I have found but even if so, if the product has the same name and same ingredients as well as same dose any differences would be very minor if any - certainly not different enough to precipitate bleeding.

Have you experienced any digestive changes - because the amount you actually get into your system does depend on digestion as well as liver metabolism? As I said I don't know about the altitude thing but were you in very high mountains sufficient for you to experience differences in breathing etc?

If you are concerned about the bleeding in your position it would be best to check with the doctor just to rule out the unlikely event of something untoward?

Hurdity x

[Londongirl]

Hi Hurdity

Whilst I was away I did have a bout of diarrhoea and felt very sick but out this down to diverticular disease which I am diagnosed with.

I am now having bleeding with extreme cramps which even kept me awake last night.

Thanks for your help

[jillydoll]

Hi London Girl.

Hrt affects people differently, and some experience bleeding all the time. This is why they change to another type. Or give up altogether. You're on a very low dose, so I'm not completely sure why your bleeding, as you've been post meno for several years, and as you say, you've had a scan and biopsy done and nothing untoward was found
, thank god.... hopefully, someone else will be on to give you some advice with more knowledge than me...I think though, it could be that you need to change to another type or even up the dosage...OR, just see how it goes, as you said you had a bout of diarrhoea and maybe you haven't absorbed any hrt at all, and this is the result...if it does carry on, go back to docs and tell them.
Jd xx

[Hurdity]

Hi again - well if you had bowel and gastrc upsets then that would well explain it as jillydoll said. It would defo affect absorption as with any tablets.

The only thing I would say is - as that is a very low dose of oestrogen, and if it was the bowel upset that caused a decrease in absorption, if you are post-menopausal then you still should not have bled. The bleed, if due to reduced absorption of the progestogen part of the HRT, means that your lining may have been building up while taking the HRT which it really shouldn't have done and especially on such a low dose of HRT.

That being the case I would defo get it checked out with your doc to be in the safe side and hopefully you will have another scan. What was your lining thickness last time...? By the time you have a scan if the lining has built up and is shed by the bleeding then it may well reduce to a normal level again!

It seems like some women are prone to bleeding on conti HRT even though the lining might not be building up? Maybe unfortunately you are one of them. Does the HRT otherwise suit you?

Hurdity x

[Londongirl]

Hi Jillydoll and Hurdity

Apologies Jillydoll as I thought I'd sent a reply to you and thanked you for posting but whilst on phone not laptop it's never easy !

There must be something else going on as I'm still feeling the hormonal boob stuff (if that makes sense?). My breast feels like it used to whilst having PMT years ago.

I will send an Email to Dr Currie via here as I've actually had two bleeds thinking back but put them
Both down to either forgetting to take my tablet one day and taking two instead of one in a day (silly as I know the days are on them!).

One bleed was last summer so my GP referred me to hospital and I've had an abdominal scan and all was ok. I also had a biopsy some time back which didn't flag up any concerns although there was something about the endometrial lining which I don't recall too well but it wasn't of concern to the consultant.

I'm also still feeling nauseous with on/off diarrhoea and on/off abdominal pains but I suspected this was down to diverticular disease.

I've made an appointment to see my GP but no availability for a few weeks.

Thanks for all the advice
Anna

[Spadger]

Hi Londongirl, I've only just read your post and it's ironic that I posted on here about a sudden bleed on Femoston Conti a couple of days ago, same dose as you and now realise that I had the same happen to me when I collected a prescription in February- different brand of pills and stickers over the days with Mon/Tues in English!
I'm now wondering if there was something strange about the tablets, as now I'm back on the "English " ones for want of a better term, I'm having a period along with cramps, and prior to that I had pmt like symptoms, boob-ache etc.
Makes you wonder doesn't it...
Hope you're feeling better and things have settled down, my GP has referred me to the gynae 'post meno bleed' clinic today so I'm waiting for an appointment now.
Love Spadger x