MNHQ here: have you found it difficult to get HRT recently?

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

As lots of MNers have already been discussing, there seems to be a nationwide shortage of some forms of HRT. (The reasons for the shortage seem a little clouded in mystery, although there's a partial explainer here.)

We've noticed a few MNers talking about going abroad to obtain their usual brand of HRT, or considering buying online - which of course isn't something health professionals would generally recommend (and probably doesn't feel very good to the women doing it either).

It seems pretty scandalous to us that women are having to do this in order to be sure of supplies of essential medicines and we wanted to get a sense of how many of you are affected.

So if you've struggled to get supplies of your normal HRT, or have considered going abroad or buying online to secure your supplies, we'd be interested to hear from you - please post on this thread or if you'd rather keep it confidential feel free to PM us or email us on [email protected]

Thanks
MNHQ

I'm on Evorel sequi and I can't get it. They found one box for me but nothing is coming in and in 2 weeks time, I'll be stuck. Apparently they can speak to the doc about tablets but I deliberately didn't go on tablets as I get bad migraines and have a lot of stomach/ digestion/ pancreas issues, so tablets are not really suitable for me.

I think it's appalling, tbh. I'm feeling a bit of an "it's only hrt, not life saving" vibe, but I was getting over 200 hot flushes a day before and was near suicidal. I couldn't concentrate on anything as I was having hot flush after hot flush, every 5 mins. I also had terrible dry eyes, sore throat, painful sex, you name it. I also have early osteoporosis so hrt is bone protective for me. I can't imagine how things will be for me if I can't get hold of it. Once again I feel that women's health is a second class issue.

I'm on evorel 50 and wasn't able to get them anywhere, I rang almost ever pharmacy in the large town where I live and not one could get them or knew why they were unavailable (many Brexit related theories). I got lucky and managed to get 3 months supply from the independent pharmacy online but they have sold out now.

Yes, I've had a nightmare. I've only been on HRT since March and am already on my third type. I think I was first prescribed Elleste Duet - none were available, then prescribed Evorel Sequi - I had enough to last 3 months and then stocks ran out. Now I'm on a combination of the Oestrogen patch with Utrogestan pills (which have a higher risk of blood clots than the patches [sad).

Combine the frequently changing prescription (changing cycle and symptoms each time round) with the fact that GPs only initially prescribe 3 months worth (to monitor the patient before putting it on repeat prescription), add in the fact that you can't get a bloody GP appointment to do the review when you need so the prescription runs out and your cycle gets fucked, PLUS a pharmacist giving me the wrong thing. It has been a nightmare.

Having said all of that, HRT has changed my life and I would actually be prepared to travel abroad or buy over the internet in order to keep going on my current type.

Couldn't get my Elleste Duet about March. The doctor wasn't keen on my being on it anyhow, because of weight, and after I had touted my prescription round about 4 major chemists, I just gave up in the end. I am managing (just and not particularly well) without.

I have had to wait 3 weeks for my oestrogen only 2mg. I usually have Lumenon brand but have been given Estrelle solo. The pharmacist has advised me to get a repeat prescription at least 2 months in advance.

Don't know where Estrelle came from - it's Elleste

I'm so glad people are starting to pick up on this. It's affecting so many people.

I have been affected by lots of the issues in this thread. I had an early menopause age 36 as a result of cancer so was put on the pill as HRT to replicate a full dose of hormones. I was on loestrin. When that became unavailable in March / April the Dr prescribed a progesterone only pill, which i had to tell her wasn't effective as HRT . She then suggested I try HRT as (in her words) "I'm not that young any more ". I'm 44!

Anyway she prescribed elleste which I couldn't get after going to 3 pharmacies, so she prescribed kliofem(sp?) Which I also couldn't get.

So by prescription no 4 I had a bit of a hormonal rage at the receptionist about the ridiculous waste of my time, her time, gp time and pharmacist time she rang the pharmacy and asked what they did have in stock and gp prescribed it.

I've been on femoston 1/10 since June. I've gone from free prescription (bcp) to double prescription charge. I gained 7lb in the first 6 weeks. Felt like I had raging pmt every day for about a month. And I had awful hormone headaches for the first week and again on week 3.

All of that has settled down now. I am slowly losing the weight I gained by fasting. I am actually sleeping a bit better.

If this one runs out I will be devastated. I don't think people realise how much impact it has to "just" change brands.

I am on Evorel Sequi. Nowhere had it in stock, so my GP moved me to Evorel 50 and norethisterone pills. In the meantime though I managed to buy some Evorel conti, so I now have 6 months supply of the sequi regime. I had a hell of a time getting the Evorel 50, pharmacy2u didn’t have it and returned my prescription, neither did nearly every other chemist I tried, luckily I got the last box of 24 from a small local pharmacy.

I have POF so am young for menopause (not yet 40) and really need this medication- for bone health, heart health, and stopping the awful night sweats and hot flushes. I only hope it’s easier to get hold of when my current prescription runs out.

@musicposy
I had the same issue - I bough Evorel conti from an online pharmacy, and managed to get a prescription for Evorel 50 from my GP. Together they are the two patches that go into Evorel Sequi. Yes it cost me £60 for the Evorel conti, plus the £9 for the Evorel 50, but at least I have 6months supply of patches now..

So the govt gets more money?

Either way, women are paying the price.

I'm sure that if they had the money, most women whose health has been improved by HRT would pay for private supplies if they had no alternative. Unfortunately there are many, myself included, for whom the cost is prohibitive. All those families struggling with the effects of austerity, zero hours contracts and UC for example .... there's no way they can conjure up an extra c.£60 per month .... for the foreseeable future. Since I became aware of these issues it does indeed beg the question about women's health not being taken seriously. There's always been a tendency towards this anyway IMO, with women of all ages tending not being taken as seriously as men who present with the same symptoms but it feels perhaps as though 'middle aged' women are seen as a particularly unattractive group? I can't help but feel if such a large group of men were suffering in a similarly unpleasant way and being messed about with their medication that there'd have already been much more of a furore.

I can’t get Elleste Duet at any pharmacies in my town so I’ve been prescribed Oestrogel and Utrogestan, which is not alleviating my hrt symptoms as effectively. I expect it won’t be long before these medications are in short supply too. It’s really frustrating and this must be impacting on a very significant number of women.

@Hoooo the WTO tariff situation is very complex. I can't understand why people think a tariff goes to the manufacturer.
The tariffs will apply to most goods we import if there is a no deal Brexit. I do not think for one moment that ALL or maybe any drugs we import will be subject to tariffs. This is something that is up for negotiation and it will work both ways- the UK makes lots of drugs too which are exported.

@Hoooo and it's not the UK government that gets the money.

I have only just started on HRT, Dr said the shortages are due to Brexit?

Pharmacy is confident they can continue to get it for me.

No problems here thankfully. I'm on kliovance tablets. Mind you I always order well in advance.

Hoping I don’t have problems getting Kilofem as was switched to that from Estelle Duet.
The list linked earlier up thread says it should be available 🤞🏻

Huge problems getting Elleste duet in my area and was prescribed a substitute - Kliofem - which was not appropriate for my circumstances but the only similar medication available locally. It messed up my cycles for 3 months. Fortunately some more Elleste then became available but I'm dreading the next prescription and going through it all again.

Unable to get elleste duet conti 2mg since March and been moved onto Novofem, which does nothing for hot sweats. In fact it feels like its keeping me in the worse phase of the menopause instead of relieving symptoms. But I'm scared to go and ask for a change as I'm sure my GP will just stop all HRT if I do.

Have struggled to get Estradot 50 since January - currently have paid for a private prescription and local pharmacy 'owes' me for another three months as they took my money and then supplied a generic alternative that I can't have due to other issues. Absolutely shocking - everywhere in my county is out of stock. I am convinced it is because of falling pound.

Evorel Conti not available in my local pharmacies in North West.

I was on Elleste duet conti. It became mysteriously impossible to get the prescription, with the pharmacist continually telling me to 'come back next week'. The docs surgery insisted there was nothing they could do, it was down to the pharmacy.

Doc eventually gave the receptionist a prescription to pass on to me, which was for patches rather than pills.

There was no consultation or discussion about whether this new product might suit me.

And I can only get a 2 month prescription now, so I pay more over 12 months than previously and am anxious about running out and the supply being unavailable.

told the receptionist to give me

@Defenestratethecat I am exactly the same. Sadly the Novofem my pharmacy cannot get at the moment, I was in last week and was told it's becoming very difficult to source.
I'm hoping it's a not manufacturing problem like the Elleste Duet and is something else that can be fixed quickly.
I was told the Elleste Duet was removed from sale due to a fault with packaging and manufacturing. I'm hoping they fix the issue soon as that one suited me.

I'm in the north west and have managed to get Evorel Sequi through home and work locations. My local pharmacy struggled but I picked up a 3 month supply 2 weeks ago. I need a GP review for my next prescription, so will book that for when I have a month's supply left, and hope it's still available.

Your experience is almost identical to mine, when I pointed out to my GP that the hot flushes were back with a vengeance, he thought it was a small price to pay to not get breast cancer....his words not mine. I even took my hubby with me and he told him what I was going through but GP wouldn't budge other than to give me some pills that would help curb the flushes which to a certain extent they have but migraines are back and aches and pains, all which I had got rid of with elleste solo 2mg. Not sure what my next plan of attack is but I haven't given up, quality of life means everything to me.