Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: ernie567 on October 16, 2018, 06:18:37 PM
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Hi there
I'd be so grateful for some advice, I'm worrying about my change from Evorel Sequi to Evorel Conti.
I'm 53 and have been on Evorel Sequi for 18 months.
1. Over the last 6 to 8 months my periods have been irregular and I hadn't had one for about 4 months until I did have one last week. I thought they were supposed to be regular on Evorel Sequi? Can anyone explain why there's not been a regular bleed for me on Sequi? Before I went on Sequi, I was still having periods but they were irregular (having always been regular).
2. I had run out of patches so went to see my doctor for more. She's now given me Evorel Conti. I have read that you would normally go on those at age 54, or when you haven't had periods for 12 months. Neither of these is true for me. So why have I now been put on those? What's the benefit and reason for changing?
3. I am finding it difficult to know how to change from Sequi to Conti. The instructions are confusing me! My last patch on the Sequi regime was Monday (yesterday) and that's the day I'd normally apply another patch. However, in the Conti instructions it says:
"When to start using Evorel Conti
Put an Evoril Conti patch on at the end of a treatment cycle or one week after you finish using another HRT product if: you are changing from an HRT medicine that gives you a withdrawal bleed."
So do I put the patch on straight after my last Sequi one (should have been yesterday), or do I wait a week as I've had a bleed? What is a withdrawal bleed? If I've got the timing wrong (eg applying it too late or just seemingly randomly because I've messed up on the instructions) will that be harmful to me and mess up my HRT scheduling?
I really appreciate anyone's help with these questions, thank you very much.
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Hi there - changing from sequi to conti you just finish the whole pack of sequi ( ie until the end of the two weeks of the combi (Conti) patches and then start the conti ones. This may well prevent any more bleeding or at least only some spotting. It is quite normal not to bleed all the time when using a sequi HRT - exactly the same happened to me. The figure on this website is 15 % of women don't bleed on sequi HRT. It just means that the lining is not building up sufficiently to need to shed and you are probably in late peri-menopause if not at menopause itself. Docs sometimes start women on conti HRT at around 54 or even before if they were nearly at menopause when they started hRT irrespective of age. If you find you bleed unpredictably then you can go back to the sequi - which you can also do if you find you get PMT symptoms when you are taking progestogens all the time. There are several of us in our 60's still on a cycle because we don;t like prog and prefer not to take it all the time.
Hope this helps :)
Hurdity x
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That's very helpful, thank you Hurdity.