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[Pippa52]

I will report as well.  It really messed me up and Besins were totally unhelpful when I told them of my concerns and that Oestrogel was no longer working for me even though I had been on their original version for over 20 years.  Estradot patches now working well for me now.

[Sue1972]

It really feels as though they are not doing anything.

 I contacted Bessins many months ago and obviously there is still problems with whatever is in the new bottles. More and more women are reporting the issues using the Yellow Card scheme, but what is the use of that scheme if there has been no response or changes made!

[Christine79]

It really feels as though they are not doing anything.

 I contacted Bessins many months ago and obviously there is still problems with whatever is in the new bottles. More and more women are reporting the issues using the Yellow Card scheme, but what is the use of that scheme if there has been no response or changes made!

Hi Sue did you send a sample bottle back? I'm just curious if anyone has had any feedback from besins following their testing?

[Sue1972]

I had to give them permission to contact my doctor, my doctor received a letter from them but all it asked for was the info I had already given them!

[Cookie25]

Hi Christine

How long after submitting your yellow card were you asked to send back the bottle? I'm interested because I submitted a yellow card a few months ago now.
i previously used 4.5/5 pumps but now need 6.
Thanks
Cookie

[Christine79]

Hi Christine

How long after submitting your yellow card were you asked to send back the bottle? I'm interested because I submitted a yellow card a few months ago now.
i previously used 4.5/5 pumps but now need 6.
Thanks
Cookie

I emailed besin directly and told them I'd completed a yellow card and why. Besin emailed me back with more question and instructions to send the problem bottle back via my pharmacy. Hope that helps.

[RebJT]

Hi

I've just heard from my gynae, she's just done me a script for 3mg sandrena via an online pharmacy so I'll have a bit of time to give it a test before I see her on 14th Feb, I'll also keep testing on day 12 of my cycle and post the results on this thread.

I'm unsure about equivalences as oestrogel is supposedly 0.75mg a pump which at the dose I was on = 4.1mg (but let's be honest, it's doing bugger all so maybe it doesn't matter?)

vs 3mg Sandrena

However, gynae's a good egg and generally does me generous scripts so I'll have enough to fiddle about with the dose.  Just hoping I don't have to go through a wobbly patch until I feel steady again.

Will also do yellow card

GS
x

[Sue1972]

Hi

I've just heard from my gynae, she's just done me a script for 3mg sandrena via an online pharmacy so I'll have a bit of time to give it a test before I see her on 14th Feb, I'll also keep testing on day 12 of my cycle and post the results on this thread.

I'm unsure about equivalences as oestrogel is supposedly 0.75mg a pump which at the dose I was on = 4.1mg (but let's be honest, it's doing bugger all so maybe it doesn't matter?)

vs 3mg Sandrena

However, gynae's a good egg and generally does me generous scripts so I'll have enough to fiddle about with the dose.  Just hoping I don't have to go through a wobbly patch until I feel steady again.

Will also do yellow card

GS
x

Did you have to up your dose due to the new bottles? I was told by my GP that 1.5mg of Sandrena was the maximum dose for Sandrena but I could up it a little bit if I felt I needed to. I have never needed to. 1.5mg may be all you need. My Gp said that if I did need to up the dose I would need to increase the Utrogesten I take to counter act that. I currently take 2 tablets for 14 days and then have a break for 14 days.
I would double check about the 3mg as that seems really high. It may be worth asking if there are any other ladies on here who are on 3mg of Sandrena.

[Banjo1973]

Hi RebJT

I was on 3 pumps of old oestrogel and everything was good

Like you, I'm a bit confused regarding equivalence of Sandrena and Oestrogel.

The conversion says 1 pump is the same as 0.5mg sachet of Sandrena... however in terms of oestrogen content, 1 pump produces 0.75mg.

I started Sandrena a few months ago and tried with 1.5 sachets (as directed) however, I found that this wasn't quite enough so I now take 2 sachets and am very happy. When I first started taking it 2 sachets was the max dose (2mg oestrogen). Now it seems advice is 1.5 sachets is the max.

I'm pretty cynical... I'm questioning whether Sandrena is being rationed now that so many women are ditching oestrogel.

Good news is Sandrena works. For some reason I find it works better splitting the dose.

Good luck xxx

[RebJT]

Hiya

Yes, my cousin is having that issue NHS, about 'max doses' - it's not actually true, any doctor can prescribe any dose if they justify why they've done it.  I'm fortunate I'm private so my gynae is pretty good at looking at blood tests and symptoms - she wants my blood levels above 600, which clearly I'm not achieving on 5.5 pumps of oestrogel.  My sis in law also had a total hysterectomy NHS and both her NHS gynae and GP wouldn't let her have any more than 4 pumps.  She saw Nick Pannay, he put her on two x 100 patches (changed a day early) and top up oestrogel (her GP was appalled, but is doing as he's told!) and her blood levels are only 600, some people absorb differently.  Surely doctors are supposed to be concerned with how the patient feels and what their blood levels show, and whether there are any abnormalities in the endometrium??

I'm also on a lower dose of P vaginally and I just have regular scans - the whole progesterone thing in the UK is overblown in my opinion as we are so stingy on scanning, in europe they scan women as a matter of course.  Here we wang women on too much P and make them feel awful, depressed, fat and weepy!  I'm also massively P sensitive.

Re dosing, that's helpful thank you, I've seen several stories like yours.  I guess it's worth trying it at the lower dose of Sandrena, on the assumption that it'll actually absorb and improve my levels on a lesser dose, but yes I don't get the equivalence either.  5.5 pumps of oestrogel = just over 4mg of estradiol.  3 sachets is 3mg.  I felt great on 4.5 pumps of oestrogel for a long time, and only increased the dose on the new cylinder bottles, so 3mg of sandrena is closer to my old dose.  She's prescribed me enough to fiddle about with it too, it's just the adjustment period that's a drag!

Anyway, I'll report back and post blood results and we can compare notes.

Cheers

GS
x

[joziel]

Reb, are you peri and how old are you? and (if this isn't too many questions) why does your dr want you to be around 600pmol?

Just asking because I'm on 6 pumps of this Oestrogel and only 334pmol. I don't seem to absorb from patches either as a 75 patch only gave me 198pmol. (That was why I switched to Oestrogel.) My dr said 400-600 is where most women are symptom-free.... I am probably going to switch to Sandrena next as well but not sure how to dose it. I'm with Newson so shouldn't have probs getting a higher dose.

[Banjo1973]

Hi RebJT,

Thank you so much. Its so good to be heard and not made to feel like I'm either doing something wrong or am mad.

Like you, I struggle with Utro. Even vaginally, it doesn't suit me - I feel awful on it. (In desperation I tried it rectally, and this so far has been by far the least problematic, although I am well aware it's not designed for this). I will be trying Cyclogest next....

Some on this forum once said "if I needed as much progesterone as the medic profession claim, my endometrial lining would be 5 inches thick"... and I agree. I don't believe all women need this uniform amount of progesterone.

Confession, I only take utrogestan every 2 or 3 months. My scan was absolutely fine. I'd never suggest other women do this. I'm just sharing my experience.

[Jillyboo]

I wonder why Besins don't seem particularly bothered by all the bad press?  This has been going on for quite a long time now. Perhaps there's not much profit in manufacturing gel. Money's usually at the root of everything.

[Millyjam]

Hi, I'm so glad I came across this post! I had heard about the new bottles possibly causing symptoms to come back but after reading all your replies I think I'm in the same boat, I feel dreadful 😞terrible joint pains, low mood, no energy to name a few. I was thinking I may have to give up work because of the pain. I have been on three pump of the new  bottle for three of months at least now but previously I was the old bottle which made me feel almost normal. I really think it's the new bottle that is affecting me now.
I have just had my repeat prescription from the GP but I'm wondering if I should try Sandrena instead. Unfortunately I might have a fight on my hands as GP is not hrt savy.

[Christine79]

Hi, I'm so glad I came across this post! I had heard about the new bottles possibly causing symptoms to come back but after reading all your replies I think I'm in the same boat, I feel dreadful 😞terrible joint pains, low mood, no energy to name a few. I was thinking I may have to give up work because of the pain. I have been on three pump of the new  bottle for three of months at least now but previously I was the old bottle which made me feel almost normal. I really think it's the new bottle that is affecting me now.
I have just had my repeat prescription from the GP but I'm wondering if I should try Sandrena instead. Unfortunately I might have a fight on my hands as GP is not hrt savy.

Sorry to hear you are suffering too. Please report your issues via yellow card. I have been prescribed an alternative which I have started this week.