I am 41. I started menopause suddenly in summer 2021 (brought on by illness) and was still having treatment until October, then at the end of November I was able to start HRT, after 3-4 months of hot flashes that were particularly bad at night.
I was prescribed Estreva oestrogen gel, 3 pumps per day, and Estima progesterone tables (1 per day). Within a week, the hot flashes had disappeared completely and I was sleeping a bit better and a bit less achy too.
At the start of February 2022, I went to renew the prescription but was told that Estreva is out of stock and so the gynacologist gave me a new prescription for Estradiol gel instead, 2 pumps per day, so I have been taking that for a month now (with the same progesterone tablets). And the hot flashes are back, almost exclusively at night, but sometimes in the day I've been getting mild ones too. The night ones are awful and I am exhausted.
Is this down to the change in osestrogen gel? I mentioned it to the pharmacist who seemed surprised as apparently the 2 products are 'the same'.
Estreva is still not in stock anywhere...