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.

My current less effective cylinder one starts with 7.

The thing is that women react differently, some do better on the Belgium one and others on the French one. Is just a matter of tweaking the dose or waiting for the body to adjust to it.

Mine had exact same shape bottle yet one of mine was in a foreign language, forgive my ignorance for not knowing what language it was, yet most of it did have stickers with dosage stuck on most of the bottle, but i know that most of my symptoms came back whilst using that bottle. Used it exact same way & dosage yet it didnt suit me. My mind boggles, as was told on here that it was exact same just different bottle 🤷🏻‍♀️

How weird.

I submitted a Yellow Card (yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk) based on my experience with a bottle from batch no. 10502 (in the new packaging) and it has been acknowledged and I've been asked to keep the bottle in case the supplier wishes to do tests on it.

Hopefully if everyone having issues does this then it will be looked into. I also mentioned this to my pharmacy and GP but they didn't seen that interested tbh.

I have two more bottles starting in 10, but a different batch, so I am psyching myself up to try them. If it was just hot flushes it wouldn't be so bad but the anxiety&depression from the last 10 batch was pretty severe. Its terrifying (and wonderful, I guess) what estrogen manages to hold at bay.

By new packaging I mean the oval one not the new, (old) cylindrical packaging. Sorry, that's confusing.
I've not found any difference between bottle shape, just the batch numbers.

Exactly. It has nothing to do with bottle shape.
The ones in French or maybe even in other languages are parallel imports procured within the EU market.

Hi Agnes

The bottles with Lot Numbers beginning with ‘1’ with a small green square on the bottle (there is no green square on the new bottle), are produced for the French market where the the parallel important is and there is a green square on them and they begin with Lot 1 too. The bottles beginning with Lot No ‘7’ and a small orange square (no square on the new bottles) are produced for the British market. Because the ingredients are the same Besins won’t admit there is a problem somewhere. I and many of my friends had issues with the bottles beginning with Lot number ‘1’ with a green square. I’m 8 years post so don’t have the issue of fluctuating hormones and had only been on hrt for a while and my symptoms came back when using the bottles with green squares and had to up my dose, as soon as I was able to get my hands on bottles with orange squares I was able to reduce my pumps. I know there’s women on here that don’t agree there’s an issue, but there are lots of women having issues and there’s IG pages with information about it. So good luck.

@Helswatts Out of interest, where you are getting the info about which is a parallel import? I can't find it in the public domain unless you have emailed Besins?

Usually, a parallel import is packaged or sometimes just re-labelled in the UK. Many years ago, the parallel import into the UK had an Oestrogel sticker over the Oestrodose label, as the 'dose' bottle was for the French market.

Just for info - my gel has the Lot No 1 on it and the green square. I've had some of those bottles for over a year (I use a small dose.) The use-by date is 2024 (they have a 2-year shelf life.) So these are not 'new' bottles or packaging- they have been around for a few years.

Thanks @Helswatts Did you submit your experiences via the Yellow Card scheme? I'm hoping that if enough of us do so then they'll have to have a(nother) look.

It's also why I'm going to try another, different 1*** batch, even though I really don't want to risk the same experience. If I have a similar result I'll submit another Yellow Card.

It sounds as though the issue is something that they are not measuring, or not aware of. They aren't going to look deeper unless compelled.

Just got my prescription and this is what i got, this is the one all my symptoms returned with. Im dreading starting it. Im 2 years post menopausal so doubt its down to my hormones fluctuating. I honestly don't think this is as potent, the texture is also different. 😔

@SamR36 Thanks for posting the photo. This is Oestrodose. I didn't know it was still being dispersed in the UK. Definitely a parallel import.

I have also submitted a yellow card. 😊

@agnesmartin i have also got to start the above bottle with batch number starting with 1,as nothing else available in my area 🙄. Im dreading having to go through the same as i did in November. Here's hoping its better luck this time around.
I also submitted a yellow card in hopes something will be done 🤞🏼

Hi Sam. This is what I was trying to explain on here earlier on another post. The oestrogel bottles with the green square starting with lot/batch number ‘1’ are the bottles that ladies are having issues with as they are manufactured for the French market where the parallel import Oestrodose is manufactured. The lot/batch number is on the box so you can at least check before leaving the chemist. Oestrogel with lot/batch ‘7’ and an orange square are manufactured for the British market. The new shape bottles some ladies have had don’t have coloured squares.

Hi Helswatts
Thank you for your reassurance, knowledge & explaining this so well.
I am going to see how i go on this bottle as i have no other alternative & if the same happens again it must 100% be down to the batch, & no coincidence, especially with si many ladies experiencing the same! So here goes 🤞🏼

@SamR36 Great that you filled in a Yellow Card - not so great that they gave you same batch again! I've taken to making a nuisance of myself and checking every bottle before they hand it over. The chemist has been really accommodating, so I wonder if I'm not the only lady doing this? I managed to get a 7-type bottle yesterday and I'm going to use that before I try and other 1-type. The 1-type is from a different batch, I am hoping possibly very optimistically, that the issue is with certain batches within the 1-types and not every single one. I'd never noticed an issue before a couple of weeks ago and I'd never checked the batch number, so its possible I had some 1-types before and they had no obvious effect, or perhaps I'd just been lucky and never had any given to me. Don't know. Good luck with the bottle!

@Helswatts Thanks for your posts. Did you have trouble with all 1-type bottles or just a certain batch/batches? Did you and your friends fill in Yellow Cards?

I've also taken to picking up my prescriptions from the doctors rather than sending them straight to the pharmacy. That way I can try a different pharmacy if they only have certain batches in stock.

@Helswatts Would you mind telling us where you've got the info from? Have you been in touch with Besins by email? (re what's available in the UK/ France.)
I've used it for years and have found Besins helpful when I have contacted them about previous shortages.

Years ago there was a shortage and TBH women were so glad to get hold of any type, no matter what the carton said. The flagon/ conical type bottle was the new style then and sometimes did have the label in French BUT it was always overridden with a label in English, renaming it Oestrogel. This was put there by the UK pharmacy dispensing it.

@agnesmartin i think im going to do the same in the future & ask before handing over my prescription. I honestly didnt know about the orange /green saga before now or even thought about looking at batch numbers, but on a few occasions my symptoms have returned & must be put down to this. I also know when my gel is working as it should as i suffer trigeminal neuralgia & my neurologist has put it down to menopause as it started when i was peri menopausal & is quite common with women at this stage in life, im on daily meds for this agonising condition. So im praying this bottle doesn't bring back these symptoms 🙏🏼
If they do u will be submitting another yellow card

"i will be submitting" 🙄

Hi Agnes I don’t accept any unless begins with batch/lot 7. I’ll try and find the info on the batch/lot numbers that’s on one of IH sites.

As I said this is women’s experiences, I know yours has been different and you have not had an issue loads of women have we can’t all be wrong!!!

Exactly where happy to get anything, that doesn’t mean their symptoms didn’t come back, also we are talking about the last few years not years ago.

have a look at Peri and Me on IG you’ll find information on there about women who have had issues.

The bottle in front of me starts with a 1 but is in the old shape bottle. I’ve not noticed any difference.

@Helswatts What I wondered was who has told you that some is for the French market and some for the Uk market.

All gel is a parallel import, as it's made overseas and is sent to the UK.
Parallel imports are drugs made outside the UK but are licensed by the UK to be prescribed here. Sometimes the name may differ but the product is the same, unless stated otherwise.

Years ago, Oestrodose was in the UK as there was a huge shortage and that was what was sold in France. Sometimes it had a sticky label over it, renaming it as Oestrogel, but sometimes not. The different name was what started the discussion over whether it was the same.

I don't do Instagram, so I can't read it.