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 was unable to get my "normal" brand from mid 2018, my GP prescibed me something similar, which does the job but appears to give me a slightly spotty skin once a month!

What I find so incredible is that so many women find HRT so essential to just living a "normal" life, to be able to function as an employee, partner, mother, and these shortages will ultimately have a huge impact, and it is being treated as not really very important!

I've had a chat to a few pharmacists in town today. One categorically blamed Brexit, telling me there was no problem with supply in Europe.

@Airfixkitwidow Could please PM me the name and address of your private menopause specialist? I too am fed up with being nagged and threatened every few months now I'm 60. Its so wearing.

@thenightsky You could try showing your GP the guidelines and the statement by the British Menopause Society on HRT at 60+. This is disgraceful- these guidelines came out 4 yrs ago. For the sake of all women, GPs need to be educated . It's point 6 on this statement. Guidance on starting HRT over 60 follows but that does not apply to you. However, if you are not on transdermal already you should be as it's safer re clotting as we get older. thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/hormone-replacement-therapy/

@thenightsky Sorry I meant point 5 on the statement (point 6 is about women starting on it, for first time, over 60.)

@FermatsTheorem - both sorts come in one blister pack.

In one style each tablet contains both drugs. In the second ( the one I'm on) the drugs are split - for the first half of the month I take a white tablet and then they change to a green tablet. Because the tablets are single drug I get a double charge even though they are packaged together nd you can't have one without the other.

When I was on the combined version I only paid one charge.

No problems here

I live in Germany
Luckily I don't need HRT but have asked friends here who do

No supply problems here

I've just been to collect my prescription.
Instead of Everol Conti I've been given Sequi. I asked the Boots pharmacist and she said they have no stock and no way of ordering it.
I'm a bit surprised that the GP didn't discuss it with me first, I'm over 54 and haven't had a period for a year.
Not sure what to do really.

I was on Elleste 1/10 but no-one could source it as of about spring this year. Was switched to Femoston 1/10 which is OK, but it wasn't working as effectively. Was then switched to Femoston Conti which I think was a mistake, and am now just starting Femoston 2/10.

Thanks for asking BigChoc If it is supply issues they are being very selective!

I've put in my repeat request. I've unticked the box that says to send it to one particular pharmacy as I know they don't have it and I don't want it tied up with them.

@sourdodo It depends on whether you can do without HRT at all or find another type. I use a sequi type and am in my 60s- 11 years after last period. I've chosen to do it this way as I didn't feel great on conti.

Thanks @JinglingHellsBells
I really don't want to do without it so I'll try the sequi and see how it goes.

@JinglingHellsBells Thank you so much for that link! Its exactly what I need to print off and present next time I'm dragged in for a berating.

Had trouble obtaining my prescription this time. Estradot 75. I contacted 18 pharmacies before I eventually got some. None of the pharmacists had any advice to me as to what might be available next time.

I contacted the gynaecologist who originally put me in HRT and she didn't think switching type or brand would be helpful as they could all be hard to obtain.

It's frustrating. Surely there must be somewhere we can all complain to?

If the GPs prescribe it and we can obtain it. The pharmacists say they have reduced supply due to restrictions placed by a government department. Can we complain to the Department of Health?

I'm very happy to do lots of complaining but it would be nice to be able to direct it all somewhere useful. Ideas?

I posted on the other thread.

I'm on Evorel Sequi. After my pharmacist said they couldn't get any supplies at all, indefinitely (when I had a week left) I came here for advice, contacted the manufacturer (Janssen) who said they had it in stock & got the pharmacist to order directly from them. They were able to get me one box (1 month supply) instead of my usual 3.

I also ordered from an online pharmacy & got 3 months supply - cost £65. The patches are identical but the packaging is in Polish. This was a couple of weeks ago, don't know if it's still available.

Also, as a few PPS have said up-thread, I too get very pissed off at having to pay a double prescription charge for a medicine which comes in one box.

@RowanMumsnet could you pin this thread to one of the more general high traffic Boards - chat or AIBU maybe - as I'm sure there are lots of HRT users who probably don't visit this Board. You might get a higher response.

Has anyone had any luck getting a prescription made up in Brittany or other parts of northern France?

I managed to get my usual 3 month supply of Evorel Conti patches just before the news of the shortages became public. I'm not confident I'll be able to get my next lot so I don't know whether to try and stretch out the length of time I leave each patch on for, so the pack lasts longer. I don't want to try this if it isn't going to be effective, though. The last thing I need is for all the symptoms to come rushing back.

I got my HRT (evorel sequi) No Noriday mini pill available though

I was on Premarin for years until that was discontinued. Had primary ovarian failure from 35. Then on Elleste duet until February this year when supply became an issue. Tried Femoston for a couple of months but that was dreadful and went back to having hot flushes etc. Now am on Kliofem which is slightly better but am seriously considering getting some Elleste from Europe.

I was on Premarin for years until that was discontinued. Had primary ovarian failure from 35. Then on Elleste duet until February this year when supply became an issue. Tried Femoston for a couple of months but that was dreadful and went back to having hot flushes etc. Now am on Kliofem which is slightly better but am seriously considering getting some Elleste from Europe.

Couldn’t get Evorel Continue as out of stock. Went back to GP. Got a prescription for a substitute. Also out of stock. Went back to GP. Told to phone around pharmacies, see who had what in stock then get back to GP for a fourth time. Finally got Evorel Conti on the morning I went on holiday (having done without anything for 2 days and also ordered privately online in a panic, which hadn’t arrived).
Ridiculous waste of 4 GP appointments

Conti not continue! Autocorrect.

Good to see somebody taking about this!

I ordered a repeat prescription for my HRT patches online end of July only to find out eventually that the chemist couldn’t source the type of patches I need (back around Easter my doc switched me to Evorel Conti only as a step towards me coming off HRT - the doc who changed my prescription said it is easier to withdraw from the combined patches than the others.)

The chemist said “we can’t get any Evorel Conti patches and neither can anyone else as we all use same supplier, it’s a national problem with supply. However you could ask your doc for a prescription for Evorel Sequi or for HRT tablets.”

After some faffing about my doctor rang me to say there is a GLOBAL (not just national) shortage of HRT - and contraceptives 😳Which sounds fairly serious. Global!

She didn’t specify “global shortage of HRT patches” but I assume she meant patches as she too said my option was to switch to one-a-day oral HRT - so obviously HRT tablets are still available.

I asked “if I now switched to the tablet HRT would the plan still be to come off HRT altogether in due course, and how would I do that?” and she said “you can just stop now if you want...”

I was a bit surprised as I thought there would be some further gradual reduction of the patches, cutting them down in size or something...so I assumed the same with the tablets - that I’d take one a day then maybe 3/4 a day then 1/2 - not just abruptly stop 😳

But it seems not.

Anyway as a result of all of this I’ve stopped HRT altogether now since 12 August and so far so good.

However if I hadn't been en route to coming off HRT altogether I'd be very cheesed off and worried, and wondering how supplies could be affected in this way.