Is there anyone who has taken Ovestin and it's made them feel a bit weird?

[MrsPelligrinoPetrichor]

Immediately got tender boobs and a low level headache. Anyone else have that, did it settle down?

Obviously not 'taken' it, used it 🤣

I didn't use any last night and feel much better today. I think I'll give it a couple of days and then just try a quarter dose to see if that makes a difference.

This is a good description of how weak Ovestin is.

www.drmortons.co.uk/blog/menopause-does-not-have-to-be-like-this

a tube of oestrogen cream which has been prescribed as a nutrient to help vaginal tissues to grow pink and juicy as opposed to be ‘dry and painful’, makes women think they are taking significant risk of this most feared of female diseases. My answer to them is that ‘If you were a mouse and you swam around in oestrogen cream (in my clinic I am at this point flailing my arms as if doing front crawl by way of illustration) then perhaps you would absorb sufficient oestrogen to have some whole body effect. The amount used in a human vagina to nourish these tissues and allow an enjoyable sex life and to stop a woman from getting up three times at night to wee because her bladder looks as thin and sad as her vagina, is harmless.
Now, I am certain that responses to hormonal things is a very idiosyncratic thing and every so often I encounter a woman who tells me that after one application of cream, her breasts became uncomfortable so she stopped it. I can only believe her, but this is definitely not the norm. In fact even in the latest publication on the topic from workers in Oxford, oestrogen cream in the vagina was shown to have no risk

Dr Morton is an NHS gynae/obstetrician ( 40 years' experience) working in Surrey and also in a private practice.

My gynaecologist told me my breasts could well get sore and it's on the list of side effects in the pamphlet so I'm not sure why Dr Morton is dismissive of it. I'm sure it's weaker than HRT patches but it affected me enough to make me feel really horrible. I'm going to try it again with a quarter dose and see how I get on. Slightly concerned about the head ache too as it says you shouldn't use it if you get aural migraines and I do. The headache was really unpleasant and my boobs felt like I was pregnant they were so uncomfortable!

Thanks for replying 😊

and it's on the list of side effects in the pamphlet

The list of side effects on the pamphlet are all for general HRT, not for Ovestin. It is something GPs and menopause specialists have been trying to get changed for years.

That's interesting but as I said my gynacologist did say sore boobs were a common side effect . I'll try a smaller allocation and see how I get on. I could put up with the sore boobs but not the headache.

I really want it to work so keen to find a way.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I'm not sure why your gynaecologist said that. Dr Morton is a gynae with 40 years' experience and in her experience it's very rare.

It might help to know that if you used Ovestin for a whole year (the dose as prescribed) the estrogen in it is the equivalent of 1 day of systemic HRT. So, that's like a woman using 1 mg of HRT ,as a tablet or gel, for 1 day in a whole year.

That's how weak it is.

I wonder if your dr told you to 'expect' sore breasts before you had used it?

As a PP says, the leaflet is not applicable. There are interviews online with menopause experts including Prof Nick Panay who have been trying to get the leaflet scrapped for years. It's the same info that is in systemic HRT and doesnt apply to Ovestin.

I use Ovestin as well as systemic hormone patches and a pessary - never had any issues! I can’t imagine that on it’s own it would have that great an effect. Could it just be coincidental that your breasts were feeling tender because of your natural hormone fluctuations and it’s just happened at the same time as trying the cream?

When I first started patches I did get sore breasts for a few weeks but it soon settled and I haven’t had it since. Hope either way it helps you - it’s made a huge difference to me (the combination of meds) and 100% worth any risk. If it were just the cream I’d definitely persevere and see how you get on as there’s nothing worse than dry shrivelled bits!

I haven't had periods for two years so no sore breasts any more, I'd actually forgotten she'd said that until the second day of using it so I wasn't expecting to feel sensitive. They stopped being sensitive as soon as I stopped using it.

She also made it very clear I shouldn't have sex on the days I used it as DH would absorb it so I'm not sure it's that weak.

Maybe I'm super sensitive to it and would get the same reaction if I took just one HRT patch/ tablet?

I will try again.

I think, to be honest, you need another dr.
Is this an NHS gynae? Have you been referred to a consultant for menopause?

She seems poorly informed. For a start, as PPs have said, the leaflet mentioning side effects does not apply.

The idea of not having sex is also incorrect. I've used Ovestin for 16 years. I asked my consultant that question when it was first prescribed. He said there is no risk of men being ' affected' as it is incredibly weak. (He is a very experienced consultant who has trained other drs for decades and meno is a speciality.)

You'd need to use it 100 times in a year ( 2 x 50 weeks) to get to 1mgs estrogen (the amount in one estrogen pill.) That is why it's almost impossible to feel any side effects.

Some women who have advanced atrophy may absorb a little during the first week or so until the vaginal walls thicken. But it's still a fraction of a day's dose of HRT.

I actually saw her for another issue and she also advised Ovestin as she said I was quite dry- I didn't realise I was until she examined me. NHS hospital.

** I knew I felt a bit uncomfortable now and again but wasn't aware it was due to dryness.

I'll try less next time and report back! Thanks for replying 😊

I got really swollen and painful breasts from the initial dose , before you
lower it to twice weekly or whatever. I have stopped using it until I talk to my gynae.

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5384/pil#gref

Are you saying this info is completely incorrect? @JinglingHellsBells

That's interesting, was it almost a in immediate reaction?

Yes. Feel free to PM me if you want to.

I am talking to my Doctor tomorrow so I will ask him what he thinks (he is a private doc , specialist in menopause, not a GP, so he will be well informed) .

Thanks, will look forward to your update 😊

Yes.

All the info about side effects is for systemic HRT.

The info about how to use it and the dose is correct.

As I and other posters have said, menopause specialists have been talking to the manufacturers for a very long time, asking for that leaflet to be removed/ changed.

If you have the time to dig around online, you will find examples of consultants saying this and how frustrated they are.

That leaflet ( except for the dose etc) is the same as what is in systemic HRT packaging (tablets/ patches/ gel.)

The reason it is included is some odd licensing rule whereby anything with estrogen in it has to have all those 'warnings'.

They are not relevant to topical estrogen.

I get a bit if a headache if I haven't used it for a while. I get migraine with aura too.

I've not used Ovestin but I felt very weird on thr estrogen pills for my frozen ivf cycle. Very queasy and headachey