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[HaRuHaRu]

My usual pharmacies are no longer sending out the old style Estrogel bottles with the green lid - I’m one of the people who has issues with the new bottles - I’ve tried some online pharmacies but they also only have the newer smaller bottles with white lid. Is that it now? The older bottles are no longer?? If anyone knows of an online pharmacy who are still depending the old bottles can you please let me know here or via message? Thank you I’d really like to get through the rest of this year without more unnecessary upsets... 

[Tinkerbell]

Do you have an independant pharmacy in your area? I use one and pharmacist always seems to try and get what I request if possible. I have been supplied with the white lidded Oestrogel bottles for the last 3 months of prescriptions.

[pastie supper]

Have you tried other local pharmacies?
I've only seen the green lidded oestrogel, I get one every three weeks, but for another unrelated medicine that I get on prescription, I ask for it to be on it's own piece of paper so I can get that in another chemist because they stock the brand I prefer.
Shopping around is the only way I know of getting the exact one you want.
Sorry that's not a lot of help, they are far too casual about the side effects of changing the hormones even a little, it's not a minor inconvenience when you suddenly can't function as expected by everyone else around you.

[pastie supper]

 
Why am I laughing?
After posting that I'd never seen anything but green lids, I remembered I'd not applied it yet today, cracked open the new pack and yes, you guessed it, it's got a white lid 

On a more useful note, I had one and a half pumps on my arm from the green lid bottle and my dose is three pumps. I got the new one working by completing the half pump, then placed the next full pump beside the first.
One full pump from the white lid bottle was only about two thirds the volume of the first pump from the green lid bottle.

I think it's a smaller amount, so is it stronger to make up the difference? It certainly isn't exactly the same.

I took photos to show the GP or pharmacist if needed, it was a smaller amount from every angle.

[Sue1972]

I also found a massive change in the new shaped bottles.

I have had to swap to a new gel which is very frustrating as the best one for me was the Oestrogel with the orange square, which I believe was manufactured by Besins in Belgium. I felt more like myself when using that one but I could not find them in stock anywhere.

I have been on the new gel for 4 days so it is early days. I have felt very anxious but I am hoping that settles down soon. I may need to tweak my dose but I am giving it at least 3 weeks before I do.

I know lots of women have reported this on the yellow card scheme but I am not sure anyone actually cares about the fact this this is obviously an inferior product. My guess is it is cheaper to produce and profit is being put before women's wellbeing.

[Hurdity]

I have read somewhere that the parallel import product containers may deliver less gel due to a different pump mehcanism so this may cause issues - in which case just increase the amount a little - and I agree this must be very frustrating if inconsistent amounts are dispensed.  As far as I understand it, the gel itself is all manufactured by Besins with the same ingredients, to the same formulation, as well as (obviously) with the same dose of oestradiol, and will be governed by strict quality controls, otherwise it could not be martketed as the same product. It's not a case of a generic product being produced - as for example with Vagifem and Vagirux - if they are produced by different manufacturers?? (not sure of the details here). If it is sold as Oestrogel, then it has to be Oestrogel, and all that entails.

Hurdity x

[Sue1972]

Hi Hurdity,

The product also has a different smell and consistancy. I tried upping the amount but it made no difference at all to me, but that may help others.

If the difference is the amount being dispensed, then surely Besins should have notified everyone about upping their doses.

[joziel]

Just chipping in here...

I started on gel with the green lids (also green squares). Then was switched to the white lids with cylinder bottles.

I feel like the amount coming out with the white lid is inconsistent. And also the bottle doesn't seem to last 64 pumps. I calculated it and put in my diary when to switch bottles (I'm on 4 pumps/day) and about 3 days before I was due to switch I started to get half pumps coming out, where it just ran out...

I had bloods done last week and only have 283pmol on 4 pumps of gel. I didn't have them tested when I was on green lids, this is my first test on the gel, so can't compare...

Sue have you switched to Sandrena gel and how are you finding it? Not sure how the dosage compares. I've been thinking about that, especially if I need more gel... I'm running out of body parts to apply it to.

[Sue1972]

Hi joziel,

Yes, I have started on the Sandrena gel. It is hard to tell how it compares as I have only been using it for 4 days and I have also just had Covid, so not really over that yet!

I was on 3 pumps of Oestrogel and have been told to use 1.5 sachets of Sandrena. x

[Cookie25]

Hi Ladies

I have today raised a yellow card on the white lid oestrogel. I've felt horrendous since starting a new pump pack. I've definitely felt these bottles are not nearly as  consistent as the blue tops and find I'm forever adding more gel to try and feel well. But this latest bottle is even worse and feels like it is not having any effect at all! I switched to a different batch new bottle and feel a lot better today. It is still white lid but I added an extra pump too.

Why is this problem still continuing? I feel we are being ignored

Cookie
Xxxxx

[joziel]

I don't know. Even Louise Newson did some Instagram post recently saying all these bottles are interchangeable and the same thing.... It was met by 650000 women telling her otherwise!!

[CrazyD]

This is interesting reading - I have only recently started HRT (post meno) had been on the green-lid for 6 weeks with no issues, although I do know it takes time to take effect. I switched to the white lid and immediately got migraines back (on separate thread) and someone on my thread suggested I needed more Estrogel rather than less (I am only 1 pump)
I've been just switched to patches but will bear this in mind if things don't work out, it may be I do need more rather than less and the pump pack was an issue..... who knows. But thanks for adding another option in as I really want to stay on HRT if I can get the migraines back under control!!

[joziel]

Migraines are a classic low estrogen symptom for me.... I have very few now I'm on HRT.

[Sage 🍃]

And now there are TWO different white lid cylindrical bottles 

'The cylindrical bottle with a white lid may come with either a preprinted canister label or a canister with the label adhered'

https://www.besinshealthcare.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BHUK_2023_681-Product-Supply-Update-In-Stock-Template-18-Sept-23-v1-FINAL.pdf

[joziel]

I seem to have 2 with white lids made in Belgium and 2 made in France. I guess, different factories...