Oestrogel: new packaging (yet again)?

[Cosmetichamster]

Hi ladies,

Just got this month's prescription for Oestrogel, and I have been issued with a bottle that is new (to me at least). Have a look at the photo: left is what I have known and used since June this year, on the right is the new bottle, also from Besins, same labels, same ingredients, and long use by date (07/25). Obtained from a reputable pharmacy, which has filled all my previous HRT prescriptions.

Has anyone seen this sort of thing? Slightly freaked out here.

I picked up my prescription today and dammit it's those bloody cylinders again. 😡 Last time all my symptoms came back so I had to up my dosage (and when I went back on the conical bottles, I dropped my dosage back and was fine). There is definitely a difference between the two shapes. Looks like I'll be upping my dosage again. Damn you Besins!

Hi, anybody experienced stomach upset (diarrhea) on the cylindrical bottle. Ive had it since starting this new bottle shape. Never had it on the others 🤔. Just trying to rule things out. May not be related but aware the estrogen changes can bring it on

Not me.

@HundredMilesAnHour thanks for response. Just clicked with me that its prob down to increasimg my magnesium 🙄 prob nowt to do with the gel 🙃

@SamR36 Make sure you avoid magnesium citrate / oxide as they can cause stomach upsets. Magnesium malate or biglycinate is better.

Are you taking the magnesium on a full stomach, apparently that’s what you have to do.

Not necessarily.

I suspect the issue is that the OP is taking citrate or oxide, both of which are recommended as mild laxatives.

Glycinate can cause an upset stomach of taken on an empty stomach

So after being on the new style bottle, then having the old style but with🟨 I have been going downhill for weeks. Called the duty doctor in the end as I just couldn’t go on. Back to patches and mood and fatigue lifting. I was so stable on these for years until supply was a problem and the gel was good when it was 🟩 batches but couldn’t cope with the inconsistency. I honestly think I would be off work without HRT.

Fingers crossed everyone that this gets resolved. Good luck all.

Hi @Helswatts , yes always have a full stomach 😂, & taking citrate. Apparently good for restless legs too. But awful stomach upset, only change has been doubling up dose & the Oestrogel cylindrical bottle. Sick of all the ups and downs. 🙄

Thanks for info @HundredMilesAnHour , shall look to change my magnesium

@Alouises im tired of all the chopping & changing too, and symptoms returning in the meantime. If i were you i would change to patch for consistency. I wish i could but the buggers dont stick to my skin 🙄
Good luck with your change of regime

Coming late to this as only just received some of the white capped newer bottles. I am doing exactly the same as you....going to revert back to my old.blue like bottle as my symptoms have returned in a.matter of days due to using the new version. Good tip re the email address and I'll certainly be getting in touch with them.

Interested to know if you got a response and what they advised?

Have you changed your meds now? As I am thinking in future yo try the Lenzetto spray if we can't get the old bottle/version anymore. It's a joke.

Interested to know if you got a response and what they advised?

A friend of mine emailed Besins a couple of years ago when there was a change of label and many bottles said Estrodose and there was a lot of hoo-haa about them being different. She received a reply stating they were the same product, as has been decided by the MHRA who have spoken to Besins at length about the change of packaging.

Just saying as you are unlikely to get anything different if you contact them.

My own opinion which may of course change if I get the new bottle, is that they are using an old store of bottles or a former supplier, to cope with demand.

In pharma, many of the products come from different manufacturers. The labels will be contracted out, the packaging, the cardboard boxes etc etc.

They have to use who they can to maintain supply.

I can't believe this has happened again.

I swear my symptoms came back when I was given the cylindrical bottles. I genuinely expected it to be the same until I was so depressed/anxious I referred myself for counselling. I was crying every day and it was suggested I upped my hrt dose in case it was related and after a couple of weeks I was feeling much better.

I went down to two pumps when I got the old bottles back and have been fine on that for 3 months. This time round it's back to the cylinder bottles and a week in I'm feeling distraught again. I just don't get how this can happen. It must be the same product surely?!

@grimmers44 I swapped back to my old stash and my symptoms disappeared. I am going to try the new bottle again once I finish this and see if it was a coincidence. I don't think it was tbh but I will report back. No idea why/how it can be so different but it does seem to be less effective. Hope you find a solution.

I’ve received a reply from Besins which of course states that in conclusion there’s no difference between the two batches I highlighted (one my symptoms came back the other took them away - this happened 3 separate times- each time different shaped bottles). I kept the defective imo batch but they didn’t ask for me to send it. They somehow carried out investigations retrospectively on the 2 batches. Interesting to see that they stated in the letter the amount of oestrogen in each gel and there was a difference. I need to go back through it more thoroughly and will post it here if anyone’s interested. Sorry I’ve not done it till now but been up to eyes in work.

Yes I would be interested, thank you

Yes please. I have now moved onto Lenzetto - still not sleeping through the night though

Interesting to see that they stated in the letter the amount of oestrogen in each gel and there was a difference.

@Lotusflower75 Could you give a bit more info about this? The dose is on the cardboard container and the actual plastic pump bottle. Did the letter you receive give a different amount compared to the packaging details?

When they carried out tests 'retrospectively' does that mean they tested the same batch and used bottles in their own stock?

I have recently been given 2 Oestrodose and 1 Oestrogel, as that was all the pharmacy could get at the time. Both are in the flagon bottles. I've had a lot of Oestrodose in the past when there were huge shortages and as far as I know it's the same but with English language stickers on it to replace the French (it's made in France for the French market.) I know this is not the same issue as the posts here which are about the conical bottle and the flagon.

I would also be interested as ive been the same, given the cylindrical bottle last month & feel awful still. The month before the flagon green square, & just got the flagon orange square.
Im all over the place. Anxiety, fatigue,mood, sleep all affected. This is draining. I have some left of the cylindrical i shall report it to, something needs doing

Ive just reported yellow card on this batch 74200
Expiry 12/2025
Be interested to see if they come back with the same

Yes please, I would be interested to read their response 😊

Hi Sam, was wondering if I’d get any of my symptoms back with this style bottle, mines a different batch and date, but within 2 weeks, I started to feel sticky and my patience isn’t great, the same happened when I had the green square bottle, I didn’t want to up my dose as I bled last time when I upped my dose. Luckily my bottle now isn’t the cylinder one.

I've also reported on yellow card, mine is a different batch.