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[AudreyH]

Hello joziel, how how you know where they have been made? All my bottle's leaflets say manufactured in Belgium or France. I feel my symptoms have returned on the white lid bottles and I can't up the dose, on 4 pumps already.? Thanks.

[Sue1972]

 I had the same, both addresses on the bottles!

[HaRuHaRu]

Pls see from Besins below and email them if you also have issues with the smaller bottles  - hopefully if enough people complain they will listen.

I’m not even sure its to do with the amount dispensed - I think although the active ingredient is the same, it’s possible that a change in inactive ingredients has effected how some of us are absorbing/ reacting. I’ve experienced this with other medications - a change in inactive ingredients can make a huge difference to how it’s absorbed and also to other side effects.

============
From Besins:

"We are hearing from a significant number of women that the new Oestrogel container does not seem to be dispensing the same metered dose of the product every time. Some feel that symptoms have returned after using the product dispensed from the new shape canister."

We take the safety and quality of our products seriously. As part of a pharmaceutical company’s statutory requirement imposed by the regulatory authorities, Besins Healthcare is required to follow up on any suspected adverse events that we become aware of concerning our medicines.

If you would like to report your experiences please send an email directly to this address drugsafety@besins- healthcare.com and they will respond to you for further information.

All the information and personal data shared with us will be protected and kept confidential in line with local regulations. The information provided will be used for the purpose of drug safety surveillance and it may be shared with health authorities. You have a right of access to your personal data which we hold about you.

[joziel]

I've had a thought about this....

On the new cylinder bottles, there is a little lid/cap on a bendy thing to seal the dispenser pump with. There isn't one on the old shaped bottles. I haven't been using the lid/cap. Have other people??

Because one theory I have, is maybe the gel has been evaporating because we are not capping it in between uses??? It has alcohol in it after all....

I've now started capping my bottles.... Have other people been using the little cap thing?

[Sue1972]

I was using the cap but it made no difference to me

[Kirsti]

Hi
I seem to be having problems with the new gel too. I think they have changed the amounts of the non active ingredients as it is definitely runnier than the green lid bottles. I am seeing a menopause specialist on Thursday so will ask her about this. I may change to patch or sandrena gel. Had a terrible hormone crash trying to change to Femseven (mainly to try a different progesterone) so I am guessing if I do change to a patch I will need to add some gel in for a few days until I start to get take up from the patch?
I'll report back if I get any feedback from the menopause expert.
Kirsti x

[Jenna]

I've had a thought about this....

On the new cylinder bottles, there is a little lid/cap on a bendy thing to seal the dispenser pump with. There isn't one on the old shaped bottles. I haven't been using the lid/cap. Have other people??

Because one theory I have, is maybe the gel has been evaporating because we are not capping it in between uses??? It has alcohol in it after all....

I've now started capping my bottles.... Have other people been using the little cap thing?

Hi joziel,

I read this posted on mumsnet by  Cylindricalfrustration · 16/10/2023 07:37

“ I have noticed that if you don’t put the stopper back on you get a lot less in a dose (1.00mg) but if the stopper is on when storing you get a bigger dose next time but still not 1.25g”

The thread is :

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/menopause/4696464-oestrogel-new-packaging-yet-again?page=30

Hope this might help!

[joziel]

Wow that thread is very interesting, all 32 pages of it 

[Kirsti]

Hi
Update after seeing a menopause expert.
She has confirmed the consistency of the gel is different. I am guessing that this is affecting absorption and that is why we are struggling. No one knows what dose is right for them now! I guess it is trial and error until you get it right?
Or bessins sort their act out!

[Penguin]

Wow that thread is very interesting, all 32 pages of it 

Lol joziel,  any chance you can provide an exec summary please so I don't have to read all 32 pages of it 🤣

[joziel]

Ummmm.... there really is a problem but we don't know what it is and the manufacturers are not helping much. But if we all file Yellow cards or whatever they'll have to look into it.

I'm doing okay on 5 pumps of gel, but not yet totally symptom free at night. Then I put a blob of it on my face  too, so it's probably about 5.5 pumps 

[Banjo1973]

I was a happy oestrogel user for 18 months. For approx 6 months I had been on 3 pumps per day. I don't care what anyone says, my new cylindrical bottles did not contain the same gel as before. The consistency was stickier and within a few weeks all my symptoms came back.  I upped my dose to 4.5/5 pumps and it got better, but never as good as before. My next cylindrical batch was even worse - I ended up taking 5/5.5 pumps per day and was still getting symptoms.

A few days ago I switched to Sandrena. For far so good, fingers crossed this will be my new saviour!

[Sue1972]

Banjo1973,

I was exactly the same as you. I could have written your post myself.

I have also started on Sandrena as I couldn't cope with the trial and error with the new bottles. I just wanted some consistency again, which I think I have found with the Sandrena gel. 🙏

[Banjo1973]

Sue1972...

Thank you. It's been hard when people haven't been believing me. Although there seem to be a lot of us now shunning new oestrogel.

Question... how much Sandrena are you taking?

I was on 3 pumps of (proper) oestrogel. I was told to take 1.5 sachets of 1mg Sandrena. However, I did my own calculations in terms of estradiol in it and have decided to start with 2×1mg sachets daily.

I have read conflicting information, do you think it is too much?

[joziel]

I think it's pretty hard to equate these things exactly but starting slightly lower than you think you need and increasing every 4 weeks is a good plan, just like you did originally...

I can't bear the thought of doing this so I am just going to take ever-more Oestrogel until I reach some point where surely I'm getting enough estrogen even if it takes me 5 hours to dry.