Evorel Sequi, very heavy bleeding

[forgotmyoldemail]

Can anyone help please?
I'm two months into these patches and having the most horrendous bleed. Have barely slept, due to having to keep getting up to go to the toilet, despite using a super plus tampon and a pad. Just got up for the third time in six hours and have soaked through it all, and even my pyjamas (sorry if that's tmi for some)

I obviously don't want to bother my GP as they're so busy at the moment with coronavirus patients and it's only bleeding. However, it's horrible bleeding and I'm so tired (I'm currently being treated for pneumonia/pericarditis, so really need some rest)

Should I see it through or take the patch off? (I've literally, last night, just put on patch 7 out of 8)
If I take the patch off, is the bleeding likely to slow down/stop?
I had a bleed on the first month of using them but it lasted about a day and wasn't this bad.

If anyone can help, I'd be most grateful.
Thank you. Suzy x

I had this too. Go and see your gp. Insist on an iron test too (my became very low due to the bleeding). I was assured it would settle down which it did but then came back with a vengeance. I had a year of full on bleeds which was a nightmare. Kept seeing the gp who referred me for a womb scan and then a test at the hospital. The consultant saw there was a fibroid the size of a golf ball and marked as urgent for me to have it removed. The best thing ever and no more bleeds. I remember being told that the patch can increase fibroids (I went straight into menopause) hence the hrt. My advice is to keep on at the gp. At the beginning he prescribed something to lessen the bleeds which did work. I can’t remember the name. Good luck

Thank you.
I'm a bit loathe to bother my doctor at the moment though, due to them currently being so busy.
I wondered if taking the patch off would help or if there was something else I could do in the short term.
I also wondered if this would be something that would settle down, after my body had adjusted.

I don’t know. I would speak to dr. They are busy but he may call you at home

Dont know the relation between the patch and bleeding, but do know you can’t keep going like this or you’ll end up in hospital with anemia! Just flick an email to them, I was prescribed something a while back to stop the bleeding, and also have tablets to slow it down
Good luck x

Exactly what nzeire just said

Thank you.
I think I'm just so tired that I can't think rationally at the moment (maybe if I didn't have the pneumonia/pericarditis going on just now, it would probably be easier for me to deal with)
The patches are a whole new thing and I think maybe I was expecting some miracle, that they'd make me fee normal again. Whatever normal is anymore!
I just wasn't expecting so much bleeding.
I'll give the surgery a ring when they open and see what they say x

Please don’t worry about “making a fuss”... no one needs you in hospital ok! X

Hi there Taking off the patch now won't stop the bleeding - it's got to run its course like a period.
HRT gives a false period so once you get to the end of the progesterone stage- in the patch for half the cycle- you will bleed.

For now, you can take ibuprofen every 4 hrs and / or get Tranexamic acid from the chemists- this is for period pain and will reduce the bleeding.

Longer term, you might need a patch with less estrogen. It's the estrogen that makes the lining grow then bleed.

In all honesty your gp can't do much for this bleed - except prescribe the drug I mentioned- but you might need to change your hrt to something different possibly the Mirena coil and estrogen.

@JinglingHellsBells - I had a mirena and loved it, until it was time to have it removed. I think at least 6 doctors tried to removed it at different times and I ended up having a hysteroscopy to get the thing out. I think that's put me off ever having another one.
I was only bleeding every 4-5 months before I started the patches, so this is all a shock.
I was assuming it would happen when I'd used the last patch in the box but I still have one more to go before I move onto a new pack.
I'm taking diclofenac for the other problems (so a bumped up version of ibuprofen) and daughter has some tranexamic acid here from a while back. I'm waiting for the pharmacist at my surgery to call back now, to make sure it's okay for me to take all the things I'm currently on.
Currently wondering if I'll have enough 'products' to see me through, as I'm in the high risk group and not allowed to leave the house for 12 weeks!
Things could soon get interesting

How are you now? How’s the bleeding? This happened to me last year. I started bleeding during the night and next day bleeding got worse and worse, passing clots three times size of 50p coin. By end of day I was hospitalised and had to be on a drip to stop bleeding and needed medication. This experience was frightening and I’ve stopped all hrt since then and just battling through atm.

@forgotmyoldemail The sequi version is 50mcg estrogen daily. That's a medium dose.
Maybe you need to drop down to a low dose patch of just 25mcg and see how that goes?

Bleeding like you are quite common - no help I know- but it's all about getting the right balance of estrogen to progesterone. Think of it like putting hot and cold in the bath to make it the right temperature.

You control excess blood loss either with less estrogen or increasing the progesterone. In some women this needs to be done with 2 separate products like an estrogen-only patch and then a progesterone pill or Mirena.

It's a bit trial and error but your best bet is to go down to a lower dose estrogen and see if that helps.

Hi Suzy, I wondered how you are now? I hope that you got it sorted out or adjusted the dose? I’ve just had my first full month of evorel sequi and I’m having the most heavy relentless bleed I’ve ever had. I’m wiped out!

I started Everol Sequi in October. Bleeding started in 3rd week and didnt stop until I was hospitalised in mid November with severe anaemia and given intravenous northisterone!

Was in hospital for days getting iron infusions.

I've now been given a Mirena instead. If I get side effects they will give me oestrogen gel.

@goinghome20 omg I’m so sorry to hear that, I really hope you’re ok now. I rang GP yest & she told me to stop patches & prescribed northisterone. Am gulping Floradix down 😱. Thanks for replying, hope the Mirena works well x

Thanks.

That's really good advice from your GP, good too they gave you Northisterone. Has the bleeding stopped now?

And you're taking iron supplements. Ask your GP for Ferrous Fumerate. Theyre really strong.

I think the amount of oestrogen in the Everol was too much for me.

It seems to be real trial and error to get the right balance of hormones for each person.

What's your next step?

Thanks for the tip. Scan next (to rule out fibroids) then a different /lower dose maybe? Yes total trial & error! Jx