Evorel conti patches

[patti21]

Hi, just started weaning off Evorel contoi.. cutting down very slowly.. started last wednesday 7/10 and today I am having a spotting, is this normal when weaning oiff HRT?

It depends - any decrease in progestogens while you are taking HRT can theoretically lead to a certain amount of bleeding or spotting - depending whether and how much the womb lining has built up during the HRT. On Evorel conti your lining should remain thin but nevertheless spotting is normal as you upset the balance of hormones in your body. It should settle soon. If you are concerned the lining might have thickened while on HRT you could always check with the doc who might order a scan but it's unlikely to be a problem and especially if you haven't experienced recent spotting or bleeding while using the Evorel conti.

As a matter of interest why are you trying to come off?

Hi Bellaciao, Thanks for your reply My Doc thinks I should stop at 65.. I dont really want to as I have read that some women are quite happy to stay on HRT and their Doctors seem not to have a problem with it. When I talked it over with my Dr last week, he said the risks get higher (which I am aware of) and if he were to continue to prescribe he would, and I quote, "Have the men in black after me" .. not too sure what that was all about?? Anyway, I will carry on and hope I dont get too many flushes etc., fingers crossed :)

If you don't want to stop HRT then you don't have to if you understand the risks - and especially if you are now only on half a patch! How far off 65 are you? Your doc is out of order. How assertive do you feel or can you go to a different doc ( I have done this when I don't want to confront my own doctor and disagree with her!)?

As for the men in black - what a load of tosh! If there are no medical reasons why you personally should not continue with HRT then there is no reason to stop if you don't want to and as I said above - if you explain that you understand the risks. It's your body ffs!!

Look at Menopause Matters website and balancing risks and benefits and current thinking is that from age 60 to 70 the benefits equal the risks.
www.menopausematters.co.uk/balance.php

I agree with you.. I'm 65 next month.. I have read up on the risks and from what I understand from the current studies it's a small risk.. I dont really understand why my Doctor feels this way unless its some sort of peer pressure from somewhere..? To be honest, I only cut a very small slither off the side a week ago and quite frankly starting yesterday I feel like crap!! Just out of curiosity I am going to see what happens over the next week and if i still feel like this, then I will talk to him again. I am concerned about my advice from him though, when I saw him last week, I told him I started HRT in the first place because of the hot flashes/night sweats etc., he gave me some oestrogen cream and asked me to taper off that way, he did mention that I would not be protected by progesterone, so why did he not offer me that as well? I have lost confidence in him now.. Thanks so much for your help and support, much appreciated :)

Oestrogen cream? That's a different kind of oestrogen and used for vaginal symtpoms - and won't have any effect on your body's oestrogen levels! The only topical product is oestrogel but that's not cream. If he prescribed that without a progestogen then the "Men in black" should come after him because that is irresponsible and negligent - well in the long term. Prolonged use of oestrogen only without progestogen leads to higher risk of endometrial cancer - and this is proven though incontrovertible evidence. Harmless in the very short term but I am surprised your GP would suggest this! What time period did he suggest for the tapering anyway?

Please do not be bullied into stopping HRT against your will!

My mistake, I should have said 'gel' not 'cream'.. so he is in the clear with this one, told me to taper off over a couple of months, but no instructions on how to taper down properly.. I decided in the end to taper off the patches instead. I am not prepared to stop taking HRT and wil go and see him asap. I have stopped the weaning off as I felt so awful yesterday. I actually have been cutting my patch in half for over 5 years, so I am on a very low dose. It's such a shame when the Doctors force you to try and stop, I have felt fine on my HRT!! But, I wont be told to stop. I have read all the info I can find and I feel I am making an informed decision. I will let you know what happens.

Ah I see - even so it's bizarre to suggest tapering down with gel alone. What dose did he suggest? You are likely to get more oestrogen from the gel than from half a 50 mcg patch, depending on how well you absorb it! Do you have the prescription? Also if he gave you no instructions then he really doesn't know what he's talking about!

Anyway as you say you are on a very low dose - and your doc should not be dictating to you when you stop. This decision is yours. Fine for him to suggest it but if you have tried and your symptoms are returning and there is no medical reason not to continue with HRT then this is your right.

Good luck with the doc!

Oestrogel 64 pump pack. He just told me to use one pump measure and decrease it slowly over 2 months. No actual plan of how much exactly.. that's why is called him back and told him I am weaning myself off the patch as I felt more in control that way. He agreed, and said it was probably better because the patch contains progestergen so I was more protected.. in the light of what I know now, I am at a loss with him over this.. Jeez, if I am having all this crap over just cutting a tiny slither offf one of the patches, I honestly dread to think what would happen over the next few months!!..I certainly don't recall having this much discomfort when I cut my patch in half, I guess I can survive on a low dose, but obviously cutting it back even slightly is causing havoc in my system. I am determined to stand my ground. Again, thanks so much for your help!

Hi I have just started using everol conti so just wanting to know how people are getting along with it

Hi Hopefulhippy how are you doing with it? I have just started on Everol conti 50 also....just started 3 days ago

On third week of Evoril Conti and loving it! My mother is 81 and has been on HRT since her late 40's. She looks amazing, feels good and will stay on till the end. Her GP says it is up to her to make her own decision. It is up to any of you too, not your GP, you make the educated choice and if you feel better on it then stay on it.

I am just started on Everol conti patches and was wondering how long before I see any effects.

Hi there .. I’ve just started Evorel Conti patches I’m 49 and not had a period for a year and half how long is it before I start to feel normal again I’ve started anxiety attacks and just want to be me again any advice ladies 😬

Hi. I am thinking about starting evorel conti patches and am wondering what dose is best to start on. I was thinking the lowest if it's strong enough.
I have been taking premique low dose. But it is not available now.
I would be interested in the experiences of anyone who is taking this patch.
Any suggestions would be great.

Hi Lowell’s I also have changed from premique to these evorel Conti patches it’s been just over a week now and I feel fine. I feel better knowing it’s transdermal and not going through my liver like the premique tablets. I think we are under pressure to come off HRT why I don’t know and I think the pressure comes from other women who are choosing to soldier on! And I quote ‘HRT is going against nature ‘ to which I asked if they had ever been on birth control pill ! I’m quite positive about these patches especially as I read further up thread that someone’s mum is 81 and still on HRT

Hi I have now been on Evoral conti patches for 5 days. I have felt so unwell, so tired i quite literally could hardly open my eyes, cramps and weight gain by a few pounds. My tummy is bloated!! Feel so disappointed as premique was no problem for me. Really wanted this to work

I have stopped the patches.
I have been using serenity cream. It does help but nothing like premiqu e
Did.
I shall have a rest from this as it's driving me crazy.
Mother nature is wonderful but got it wrong for the older woman.

I am on my second batch of Evorel Conti . I felt better immediately.
Everyone has different symptoms and experiences though.

That's true.
I spoke to a pharmacist yesterday and she told me the everel cont i patches are much stronger than low dose premique also the way In which the drug is absorbed into the body has a different eff e c t.
Hormones are such a. Complex subject. And taking the right medication is so vital. Unfortunately G Ps are not always very knowledgeable about The true complexities of menopause issues.
I wish you all the very best.

Hi ,I was 56 when I started on everol sequi ,fine except for the monthly bleeds ,iwas advised to come off it after 3 years do I did ,I felt fine for nearly a year then bang ,the menopause was back with a vengeance, I had night sweats ,Hot flushes, aches , Moody, wanted to cry ,had memory lapses which was scary, had trouble getting down the stairs , ankles so stiff and painful ,felt nervous, heart palpitations,felt really low ,so went to doctors last Thursday ,had a choice , natural remedies, marina coil ,antidepressants hrt or put up with it she said , I decided to go on hrt everol conti took my first patch today,so I'm so hoping this will help put me on the right track again ,I know there is a slightly higher risk of breast cancer but as we don't know what's round the corner ,I want to enjoy my life , however long I'm now 59 x

Hi,if I don’t take any more of this product evorel conti,what will happen,and an other Q, do I change patch on the third day,r the fourth day,so if I put on the patch Monday morning,when do I change it?

I use patches and I change every 3.5 days approx - so I change mine Mon eve and Fri morning. In your case to achieve similar you would change on Thurs eve.

If you stop suddenly depending on how long you;ve been taking it and if your womb lining has built up - you might get some spotting or a bleed. You may also experience progesterone withdrawal symptoms a couple of days later ( maybe a headache, tension, irritability etc a bit like pms?) which will then settle. Finally if you started them for hot flushes and they worked then after some indeterminate length of time you might find the flushes ( and sweats) and other symptoms returning.

Why do you want to stop?

Hi, I’ve been on Evorel Conti patches for nearly 3 months now and have had pretty much continual spotting, was getting rather concerned as it seems to be getting slightly heavier. Went to my doctor and she is going to send me got a scan. She said... worse case scenario, womb cancer, best case scenario, hormone problems ( very to the point!) At my last patch change I moved it higher inline with my bellybutton, had previously been putting it on my thigh. No spotting since it’s been higher. Could this be coincidence, ladies? X