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Author Topic: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative  (Read 6652 times)

kittywells

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Hello all, after being told my FemSeven Sequi patches were out of stock I called the manufacturer for more information. The patches used to be manufactured by Teva but are now being made by a company called Theramax. They told me that FemSeven Sequi is being reformulated due to a supply problem with the adhesive and that the new formula will need to be tested before it can be sold again, so it's off the market and they have no info on how long this will take.

So - does anyone have ideas about what I could use instead? Of course, I will speak to my GP but sadly they don't have much of a clue, so I've found his forum to be a good source of recommendations. My formula is the full replacement 50 microgram/10 microgram with estradiol and levonorgestrel.  I had previously tried Sandrena gel combined with oral progesterone, but felt bad on this. I'm really disappointed as FemSeven Sequi has worked so well for me.
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Cazikins

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2019, 12:43:47 PM »

Hi Kittywells - have a look at this:

TRANSDERMAL

Medium Dose
EVOREL SEQUI*   M   2 x Weekly   Transdermal estradiol 50mcg/24hrs
Trandsermal norethisterone 170mcg/24hrs for 14 days/28   
£11.09

FEMSEVEN SEQUI   M   Weekly   Transdermal estradiol 50mcg/24hrs
Transdermal levonorgestrel 10mcg/24hrs for 14 days/28   Â£13.18


As you will see Evorel Sequi could be an alternative one to try. Hope this helps.
Cazikins.
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enchantedworld

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2019, 05:37:56 PM »

Oh no ...I'm using this and only have one box left .... I cannot go onto the Evorel Sequi as i could not sleep  ... Looks like i will be visiting my GP to get off Hrt all together .
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kittywells

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2019, 09:57:28 AM »

Thanks - yes, that's what my GP has come back with too. Worried about the not sleeping feedback though as I tend to be an insomniac but have been sleeping great on the FemSeven. Argh, we'll see.
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Hurdity

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2019, 03:00:23 PM »

The mirena coil has the same progestogen in it as Femseven so could be worth a try?

Hurdity x
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Dancing Queen

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2019, 03:38:39 PM »

Hi, I switched from Femseven Sequi to Evorel Sequi with no problems at all, in fact I have felt even better on Evorel. I know a lot of people have had problems with Evorel but it might be worth trying as it`s the only alternative where you just have to stick one patch on and not use a combination of things. Worked for me...
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Butterfly22

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2019, 05:03:35 PM »

I have an unused box?
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Stella71

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2019, 04:10:35 PM »

Hi lovely ladies

Not usually one to post on forums but felt it my duty to share my experience of Femseven Sequi and the alternatives. I have been on Femseven for 8 years now having started my meno early at 38.. Over the last year I have really struggled to get my hands on my 3 monthly prescription (I live in Scotland) and of course now it has been taken off the market completely with no real warning or advised replacement. I noticed in my previous 3 month supply that some of the individual patch packaging had changed with stickers on them saying they had been repackaged by ‘MPT pharma LTD' but also that they were indeed Femseven Sequi. Due to a very unwelcome return of hot flushes, constant sore heads and nasty nasty depression I decided to dig further and peel the very sticky sticker off.. Underneath was a totally different name ‘Femsept combi', made in France and judging by my side effects nothing like Femseven even though the prep seems the same. Worst has been the dreaded depression, I thought I was losing my mind and couldn't understand why. So today I went back to my Dr, who knew nothing of this alternative patch I had been given, and so prescribed Evorel Conti patches that have cleared my sore head in just a matter of hours! I'm devastated they have stopped manufacturing F7S as they really worked for all of my symptoms but for now Evorel has been my saviour 🤞🏼 Hope this helps anyone else who has also been given this same alternative patch unknowingly..

S X

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Hurdity

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2019, 07:31:00 PM »

Hi lovely ladies

Not usually one to post on forums but felt it my duty to share my experience of Femseven Sequi and the alternatives. I have been on Femseven for 8 years now having started my meno early at 38.. Over the last year I have really struggled to get my hands on my 3 monthly prescription (I live in Scotland) and of course now it has been taken off the market completely with no real warning or advised replacement. I noticed in my previous 3 month supply that some of the individual patch packaging had changed with stickers on them saying they had been repackaged by ‘MPT pharma LTD' but also that they were indeed Femseven Sequi. Due to a very unwelcome return of hot flushes, constant sore heads and nasty nasty depression I decided to dig further and peel the very sticky sticker off.. Underneath was a totally different name ‘Femsept combi', made in France and judging by my side effects nothing like Femseven even though the prep seems the same. Worst has been the dreaded depression, I thought I was losing my mind and couldn't understand why. So today I went back to my Dr, who knew nothing of this alternative patch I had been given, and so prescribed Evorel Conti patches that have cleared my sore head in just a matter of hours! I'm devastated they have stopped manufacturing F7S as they really worked for all of my symptoms but for now Evorel has been my saviour 🤞🏼 Hope this helps anyone else who has also been given this same alternative patch unknowingly..

S X

Hi Stella71

 :welcomemm:

Thank-you for letting us know about this and sorry to hear you experienced a temporary return of symptoms. We have had a few threads about this ie Femseven being discotninued and reformulated and all who have enquired have been given the same reply from Theramex/Teva - that the re-issue date is unknown.

Following your concerns about the substitute patch I had a quick Google and in fact Femsept combi is an alternative name for Femseven sequi (not conti I don't think?) - and they are in fact exactly the same patch with the same ingredients, manufactured by Theramex/Teva.

MPT Pharma Ltd has just repackaged the patches - not sure if the actual foil pouch is the same in both cases, but I imagine it is? The patient information leaflet should still say Femseven as that is what this product is called in UK and Femsept is not on our list of medicines. (Sept being the French word for 7!!). They (MPT) are a parallel import company which happens quite a lot as we (UK) are (fortunately still) a member of the EU. The same product is often supplied to different countries within (and even outside) the EU but with a different name and it means that if there is difficulty getting hold of the one in our named packet, then a different named packet of the same stuff can be sourced!  We have come across this before with another HRT product which casued no end of confusion (Oestrogel/Oestrodose) and it is the different packaging and the names of all the different parallel importers which cause the problems identifying what HRT you've got and thinking it's different.

Rest assured that you received the same product provided it has been stored under favourable conditions - from what I can gather (I looked up the product info on the |French database of medicines) and therefore if you are still peri-menopausal then most likely just coincidence that your symptoms came back temporarily. Which phase of the cycle did you feel the symptoms returning?

Pleased to hear that they have now disappeared and that the Evorel suits you! Just one thing though - if you were on Femseven sequi then you should have been given Evorel sequi too ie 4 patches of Evorel 50 mcg followed by 4 patches of Evorel conti, rather than Evorel conti which are the conti patches all the time and only intended for women or are post-menopause?

Hope you continue to feel well :)

Hurdity x
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atalanta

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Re: FemSeven Sequi off the market for reformulation - need alternative
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2019, 08:38:45 PM »

I am following this thread with high interest as I am in the same boat (happily on femseven sequi until its unavailability with no notice).

Stella71's post made me start and go upstairs to check the last 2 boxes I got from my chemist in Scotland. I had almost run out in January and he gave me 3 months supply at that point - I was fine with them. 2 weeks ago he said a couple of boxes had been uncollected by another patient and I could have them.
They looked different and each of the patch packets had the sticker over them described by stella71. I put a patch on and in less than a week had a heavy painful bleed. Before that, I'd not had a bleed for more than 2 years. I have been feeling incredibly depressed to the point of feeling suicidal and have not been myself and I realise it is all since putting that patch on. It felt inexplicable and it was only reading this that made me connect it to the patch. It is too much of a coincidence for it not to be related to this new stickered patch. Despite what you say Hurdity about it being the same formulation I am finding that hard to believe. I got on very well with femseven sequi but my reaction this time has been sudden and severe.
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