Unexpected bleeding - Evorel conti

[chimichangaz]

I'm 56, haven't had a period since 2014. Started HRT tablets in dec 2019, switched to patches late 2020 (Evorel conti). I came off hrt altogether in April due to a breast cancer scare, and restarted in about May/June time.
Earlier this week I noticed some dried brown spots in my pants. Just noticed some again this evening. Is this anything to worry about? I think one of the side effects is breakthrough bleeding (lost the leaflet..) but I've never had any before. Seems a bit odd to be starting now?

Movinghouseatlast - sorry I only just saw your reply. Yes it stopped it straight away and I haven't had a bleed since.
I'm still fine on half a patch, no flushes, no waking up at stupid o'clock, I feel like me again.

Thank you @DalarnaHorses - have downloaded it!!

Hi ladies, been reading with great interest and dismay. I'm 54 and just gone back on evorel after 2 year gap, mostly due to not being able to get it due to the shortage. Been on it about 6 weeks max and have bled for the last 3 weeks continuously not heavy, but enough to have to use pads day and night. I'm thinking of ditching it, it's not worth the hassle, I'd rather have the aches, pains and palpitations. It's a relief to read that I'm not alone but I'm sorry to hear so many of you are suffering. I never had a problem when I took the 2 different patches but this evorel conti is a nightmare. I might try cutting patch in half for next few weeks til I end the course and then decide. 🤞🤞

Hi all 👋🏼 I’m jumping in here to add that I am 55 & have been on HRT Femseven Conti patches for nearly a year, I was having awful hormonal migraines aches and pains, irregular periods and felt rubbish, I was fine for many months no periods, mood great, energy back & way less achy AND no migraines!!….but then periods started again, heavy and clots every month regular, swapped to sequi, migraines back worse than ever but no period not even spotting, back on to Conti as migraines too debilitating, had a mild bleed in February and again now where I’m back on day 5 passing clots! Reading these posts I’m going to cut mine in half today and see if that helps as everything else is so good on them 😫 I’ll update in a few weeks how it’s going! 🤞🏼 thanks for all your posts! 🥰

Just found this thread when looking for advice. I’m 54 and I was in the Evorel Sequi for about 2 years and it was great but for the last few months started having awful periods with clots and heavy bleeding, before this was just a regular 3/4 day period. I was switched to the Evorel Conti Jan this year and although much lighter I still seem to be having a regular monthly period. Reading that you should only use this hrt after menopause just concerned as I have no idea if I’ve reached menopause or not.

Hi @LiveLoveLifeForever, I’m the same as I’m on Femseven Conti and not sure if I’m over it or in it as haven’t gone a 12 month without a period which is what they say determines that you have! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hi I’m struggling with evorel conti too & have no answers but can tell you that the pelvic floor guru is gussetgrippers.co.uk or think mumsnet name is just gussetgripper, great advice, very knowledgeable

So it seems sadly it's a common problem. I'm happy to say my bleeding has stopped (haven't had any for a while) and I'm wondering if it was maybe something else going on - I had a LOT of stress in my life at the time.

Thank you for the name of the pelvic floor expert!! How could I have forgotten!! I've downloaded the Squeezy app but not done anything with it yet - it looks a bit complicated and I'm the type who reads instructions in full before doing anything....

Still waiting for my appointment with the menopause doc, still feel rubbish in lots of ways and knackered.

Hope you all get the answers you deserve

I was searching for a thread like this and I am pleased I found you all. I started HRT last August (Oestrogel and Progesterone pill daily). I haven't had a period in about 6 years and have just today had very light bleeding, almost watery. Can I really restart bleeding after all this time ? Obviously my mind is working overtime that it's something more sinister now. Coincidentally I had the results of an oestradiol blood test yesterday which put me at the low end of pre-menopausal. Not really sure what that means.

I just don’t understand post menopausal bleeding when there isn’t an issue e.g cyst, polyps, fibroids etc.

My last period was 2018. Had nothing for 27 months ( even on gel and utrogestan, although I wasn’t absorbing).

Then on month 28, when I started patches, bleeding! Persevered for over a year, but it didn’t settle.

Started tablet form in February, already had two bleeds and that’s at a lower dose. Trouble i need the hormones, particularly for bladder.

Next option is cyclical. The. I don’t actually know!

@TheDogsMother

I was searching for a thread like this and I am pleased I found you all. I started HRT last August (Oestrogel and Progesterone pill daily). I haven't had a period in about 6 years and have just today had very light bleeding, almost watery. Can I really restart bleeding after all this time ? Obviously my mind is working overtime that it's something more sinister now. Coincidentally I had the results of an oestradiol blood test yesterday which put me at the low end of pre-menopausal. Not really sure what that means.

You need to see your GP asap and they will arrange a scan.

After doing a lot of reading on this it seems the bleeding- if not caused by anything else- is due to not having enough progesterone.

I tried cutting the patches in half but it didn't work for me. I went to the doctor last week and have been referred for a scan

Just to update, I’m now on Lenzetto spray and provera tablets - I don’t feel anywhere near as good as I did on the patches but on the plus side I am no longer bleeding. Will probably ask for something different after a couple more months as I loved the energy and clarity I had on the Evorel Conti

Aaaaaannnnnddddd just as I thought the bleeding had stopped it came back again this week.

Think I'll chase up the appointment with the menopause doc.

Thanks Jingling. GP was fairly chilled but decided to skip the stage one 'reassure' and go to stage 2 'get a scan'. He marked it as urgent to hopefully not too long to wait.

I'm 57 years of age and have suffered since i was 49 with menapause . I initially took tablets, then went cold turkey for 2 1/2years which was complete hell! I've been on these patches for nearly 2 years and was absolutely fine until about 5-6 months ago when i noticed a pinkish discharge. I rang the doctors and was told it was a hormonal imbalance. About 2 months ago it progressed into a proper bleed which now seems permanent! Again i contacted the Doctor who referred me for tests . I have large fibroids and my lining is 9.5cm when it should be 4mm. I've had a uterus biopsy and awaiting the results. Again they say its an hormonal imbalance and have been advised to discontinue with patches. Tbh i would like to but it scares me as my hot flushes and insomnia made my life a total misery. I run my own business and don't want to go back to that dark place but at the same time can't put up with constant bleeding.
Someone has also told me that the covid jabs can cause this. I never even thought about a connection but coincidentally this started after my booster Pfizer jab so it makes me wonder . Has anyone else heard this?

Yes, mine started the day after my Covid booster jab, after 5 months on patches.

I've carried on bleeding every 2 weeks or so. I had a scan which was clear. Now dreading the biopsy they say they want to do despite nothing showing on the scan.

its really strange as i had no problems then out of nowhere ... after my jab (may be nothing to do with it but starting to wonder) and now i'm in complete disarray. They're insistent its hormone imbalance. Will have to see what biopsy reveals which hopefully wont be anything then decide what to do :(

Menopause, HRT and Testosterone
I am curious to know if people have been getting testosterone prescribed by GP, I’m sure I read it was only available privately.
After watching the Davina programme it makes me wonder why it wasn’t discussed when going on HRT

Hi everyone, I've been on evorel for probably nearly a year now and I've suddenly started bleeding, I am feeling very tired at the moment aswell, so I'm have a blood test on Wed to check my low thyroid, I often get a swallow gland in my armpit aswell. The bleeding is my concern, anyone else having a similar problem, thanks Tracy

Hi everyone,

Apologies in advance for my long first post.
I’m new to Mumsnet and came across your HRT thread due to searching for answers to my own Evorel Conti breakthrough bleeding problems. I’m 57 and have suffered nearly 10 years with little to no support/HRT from our previous GP who told me to stick with the one he prescribed which didn’t suit unless I wanted cancer! - I was in tears and very close to the edge. The last 4 years have been particularly difficult seriously affecting relationships with family/husband/business partner and I felt so low/depressed but was unwilling to return to the same GP and couldn’t get an appointment/HRT IF I wanted it anyway. Since moving house in November I managed to get prescribed Evorel Conti by my new GP who’s a massive improvement on my previous one. All was well for 3 months, constant hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings etc settled down pretty quickly but still feeling very lethargic and having difficulty getting a good nights sleep. Dr’s checked on me before prescribing next 3 months dose and all was well however, since March I have been bleeding regularly. The first time was for heavy and lasted a whole two weeks. Was back a week and bleeding started again. Bleeding regularly for prolonged time ever since. I read that it may be due to not changing the patches on time but doesn’t appear to be the case. I’m reluctant to give up the patches in case my symptoms return but at the same time finding the constant bleeding a real inconvenience particularly as having no periods is the ONLY benefit of the menopause. May try cutting patch in half as others have suggested. Had a bladder prolapse op a couple of years ago but back to wearing pads 24/7 and I’m overdue a smear test which I’ve been putting off for obvious reasons.

Cutting it in half didn't work for me. In fact from what I've read it can make it worse as bleeding can be because you aren't getting enough progesterone.

I have now got Evorel 50 and oral progesterone to see if that makes a difference.

My doctor said Evorel is notorious for causing bleeding, but I would like to know why this is but nobody seems to know! It must cost the NHS millions in scans and biopsies.

Hi all and @sharonlynn1964 and @Tracygierat especially. If you haven't already been to the doctor about your bleeding I'd advise you to do so. Mine was very supportive and said straight away that she did need to know about that. It's important you're checked out to see if the lining of your womb has thickened. You could also ask for blood tests to see if you're absorbing the oestrogen, what your iron levels are like and so on.

My bleeding started about 6 months after starting the patches. The leaflet says you can expect bleeding in the first few months which settles. That's not the pattern I've experienced.

I haven't tried cutting the patches in half as I'd rather take advice from the GP particularly as I had found one who was supportive and knowledgeable (and who has now left the practice 😭😭)

I spoke to a different doctor last week to ask if I could go on the gel instead but she said as the gynae consultant I saw said I should go back if the bleeding worsened (which it has) she has referred me back. I tried to book online and the first appointment at my local hospital is December 2023. Yes - 2023!!! So I've asked to have a choice of two other hospitals and we'll see how much quicker they might be.

It's absolutely shit isn't it that we have to deal with this. Wouldn't happen if men had the menopause 😡

@chimichangaz I’m glad your GP thought it warranted checking out further but having to wait until December 2023?- that’s ridiculous! However, from my own gynae experiences in recent years it appears to be the norm and delays to all treatments have been exacerbated by Covid. Thanks for the advice re getting checked out I’ll contact the doctors to see where it leads and what the timescales are but ultimately as I’ve suffered for so long and unwilling to go back there I may need to consider going privately. I hope you manage to get an appointment much sooner- keep us posted. In the meantime I guess we have to just keep taking the tablets/patches and putting up with the symptoms!

Hi ladies, Would be interested to know aside from the awful bleeding if anyone has noticed a change in their general mood or return of their other pre HRT symptoms since their bleeding started particularly irritability/mood swings/teary for no reason etc?