HRT : Femoston 1/10 mg; Patient reviews on effectiveness & side effects please!!!

Women's health
1

Hi ladies

I am 45 years old and around December 17 (infact just after my 45 birthday) started perimenopausal symptoms. I am still having my periods (albeit most short and usually non heavy but with clotting over the last 2 months:

Headaches

crying spells

Joint aches and pains

Apathy and fatigue

Disturbed sleep pattern waking 1/2 per night

Eye and mouth ie itchy gums

Weight loss/and loss of appetite

Dry hair & skin

low mood etc

(no hot flashes yet!!)

The list goes on..........

After a bit of a battle I was been prescribed Femoston 1/10mg  by my GP on 16/02/18. I'm concerned about the risks and side effects of using these and have checked this site for more up to date information from ladies who are also beginning/using or have come off this medication. I would really appreciate some real experiences from others about Femonston and the pros and cons of taking and whether they have needed to change to something else and what please.

I have been referred to community gyneacology and hope that they will give to me patches instead.

Hrt is very new to me and I am nervous in using but desparate  to get back to some normality to work and raise my 9 year old daughter.

Really would appreciate your help.

Thanks.

Elaine

2

Hi Elaine, I don’t think I can help  but I can say  that I was glad to read the Clinical Study undertaken by Professor John Studd.(2016)

 Also make sure any  gynaecologist is up to date with latest information.

 Hope you get good advice .

Pauline

3

Thank you for replying do you have a link to the study please...

4

Did you personally use hrt?

5

Yes I began at 48 yrs with tabs and now 74 using patches.

There was no history of cancer in my family, I have 4 children, I breastfed my children. I weighed up the risks.

 Primarily I take it as an as an antidepressant. I suffered from post natal depression and so did my mother. Other antidepressants did not work. 

 Regards 

 Pauline

6

No but I just Googled it.

7

Hi Elaine,

I use Femoston Conti1mg/5mg taken twice daily to spread the dose. I have previously had various other hrt,s. Femoston is a kinder hrt and helps with anxiety/panic attacks as well as a number of the other wonderful symptoms associated with the menopause. The aching joints are much better, as is my general mood, so I feel pretty "normal" on it! You will probably not be on the conti, given your age, and it does take some time for them to work......four months in my case.

Good luck,

Susan

8

Much appreciated you sharing Pauline. I discovered this is a mind field when it shouldn't be particularly as women make up 51% of the population !

I would like to go onto patches but my at first obsetcals my gp has given me tablets which I hope will change after seeing the gyne specialist in the near future.

Would you mind me asking what patches your on please.

Kind Regards

Elaine

 

9

Hi Susan

Thanks for responding on your experience it's really helpful hearing from others. Since collecting my script earlier today I've just been so worried to take them I think purely to the overload of information read about risks. I appreciate your view of Femoston being a kinder vision of hrt.

Well I finally took the first tablet this evening. I heard that a Transdermally is more effective working more effeciently as opposed to ingested.

It good to know that your are having the benefits in lessing your symptoms. Did you experience headaches at all ?

Thanks again for responding.

10

Hi elaine

I am 43 and started HRT in August 2017. I began with symptoms like yours.

I began on Estelle Duet then changed to Femoston 1/10 and am now on Femoston 2/10. All tablets.

Unfortunately it may take a bit of trial and error to see which HRT helps your personal circumstances, but Femoston 1/10 is a good one to start with. Give it 3months and keep a daily diary of how you feel etc see how you get on.

Good luck x

11

A combination patch called Evorel Conti

12

Hi again Elaine,

apparently there are approximately 66 symptoms, at least, of the menopause, and I would say that I had at least every one of them!

So, yes, I had headaches, hot flushes, cold flushes (like ice water being poured through you), burning mouth syndrome, extreme depression, total insomnia, anxiety, health anxiety, panic attacks etc, and the list goes on. Start taking your hrt, give it a while, if it doesn't make you feel normal again, as Zoe said, it can be trial and error, try another one. Your quality of life is what matters and if doctors hadn't tried to get me off hrt, as I had been on it for many years with no issues, I would not have virtually lost nearly two years of my life. When you find the one that works, you can forget all the rotten symptoms and live your life! X

13

Thanks again Susan,

It like a storm of symptoms that just hit you, I been reading up on 66 symptoms. Appreciate the advice  and hope to see improvement over the coming weeks but realise this is early stages so will have wait (difficult when you having to get on with  your life!!)

Thank  you X

14

Hi Zoe

Thanks for your reply. It so helpful knowing your not alone or going 'MAD' as these a symptoms many women are suffering with.

I'm on day 2 of starting tablets!!

May I ask if you are taking any additional supplements as prior to HRT I am and still taking MenoSerene multivitamin tablet and Vit D2. 

Thanks I'll keep a diary too.

Best wishes X

15

Sorry for my written grammar this morning !

16

Dear Ladies,

I just wanted to check-in and hopefully recieve some advice from those of you on my journey thus far with Femonston. I nearly through the 14 days of oestrogen and definately experiencing breast tenderness. Headaches albeit mild have been daily and some cramps occurring in the Abdominal area. Having read the patient information leaflet these are some of the side effects. I due my period around the 7th March so this I will when I'm into the progestrone tablets... I wondered whether if once I've done the full 28 day cycle of tablets that a bleed would occur or whether my regular period would continue around 7/3 ?

My sleeping has slightly improved with less disruption average 9pm to 5.30 am/sometimes 6am. A slight increase of energy but inbetween low dips. Still feeling teary and with some mild anixety.

I guess its just still to early and given I wonder if the tablets just take longer than the patches. Has anyone swapped to patches part way through tablets?

Thanks in advance.

17

Would really appreciate any feedback regarding headaches and dizziness whilst using Femoston. I'm now onto the grey tablets but have had a set back with interrupted sleep and not being able to get back to sleep and quite intense headaches with dizziness has anyone experienced the same ?

18

Hi elaine

That was exactly like me. It does get better, not perfect but better. I usually get my headaches around day 8 of my cycle (day 5 of the estrogen tablets) they last a few days and paracetamol helps. Please note your cycle may not be the same as mine.

My sleep also goes alittle off at this time.

19

Hi Zoe

Many thanks for your reply. Wow yesterday evening its was a scary wave of dizziness and headache that came over me I just had to get to bed. Yes, I was wondering if my normal cycle will continue (due to this week) or will this now change because of the intoduction of hrt ? Just when you think there's a break through like you sleeping pattern coming back to normal it takes a U-turn!!

Interesting having seen my gyneacologist yesterday and then my GP today he was more ameinable and offered should I need it to increase femonston to 2/10mg !! Stark difference from early Feburary he was not prepared to give me anything!

How long did you stay on 1/10 before increasing to 2/10 Zoe and what results did you see first following the increase - sorry about the questions but this is such a mind field!

Sounds that your sypmtoms maybe under control ?

Take care.

20

I took Femoston 1 /10 for 3months then had a review . I noted that I was still fatigued and that this dropped my mood. The nurse felt alittle more estrogen might help. So far so good. Yes, I still am tired but not fatigued. I just make sure I have a good bedtime routine and drink plenty of fluids.