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 haven’t got time to explain again but attached is a piece from the Balance app, and as Louise Newson is the Queen of anything menopause, I will go with what she has said. Women have even been advised to ask for no PI on their oestrogen prescription, if it was true what you said they’d be without any gel.

That's really old news which I've seen and was written in response to the concerns ages ago.

My meno consultant has trained drs, like Dr Newson, is much more qualified, and (sorry to say) they don't accept any differences.

The medicines regulating authority investigated this and found no issues.
The number of women raising it as a concern are on that info if you want to look at it too.

What’s old news? No there won’t be any difference with oestrogel and Oestrodose parallel import lot number 1 green square as they are manufactured in the same place so yes you are correct but people are having issues with these when they are used to having oestrogel lot 7 orange square. You trust your specialist and I will trust what my body did.

Right, I’ve pulled out a bottle of orange square, batch code beginning 7 to do a direct comparison. Genuinely curious to see if I notice a difference.

I'm not managing to keep up with this conversation- I'm still at the start of the HRT journey.

Side query as you all sound so clues up- is my hairy chin caused by loss of oestrogen rather than too much testosterone?

I want to try testosterone, but worry about the hairy chin!

@Helswatts I think we might be talking at crossed purposes- or crossed wires.🙂

Is that link from her page some years ago when there was a discussion about the two different names for the gel?

The OP started her thread about a change in bottle shape, not the name.

The photo you have provided from Dr N is regarding the change in name- Oestrodose, not Oestrogel.

I don't know where there is info that Oestrodose is not made by Besins (but this wasn't what was being discussed here, not at first anyway.)

My understanding about Oestrodose, is that it is the name of estrogen gel for women in France, made by Besins, and it is their 'default' name for it.

When it came to the UK as an import, in the flagon bottle, it did have a different name (which is what a PL can have) so it was relabelled in the UK as Oestrogel.

But this was years ago- and women took it as there was a severe shortage and they were happy to get anything! It was at times impossible to get Oestrogel .

Even though I did specifically ask for it then Just IN CASE it was an inferior product (as I was paying the RRP as it was a private prescription) I couldn't get it because it was completely unavailable and out of stock. I discussed it with my consultant, as I was slightly concerned having read women complaining about it on forums.

Anyway this will run and run I'm sure!

Still hoping that I'm not being given an inferior product by virtue of being French! I was thinking I would ask my French GP for a prescription for blood tests soon anyway - is there a level your oestrogen is supposed to be at, at a certain time of the cycle, which would show whether you are getting an adequate dose?

Also interested in the testosterone question as will get that level checked too... but the idea of male pattern baldness and hairy face scares me... I assume you don't actually have to worry about these things if taking testosterone as HRT in perimenopause?

Thought I was going mad until I saw this post. I was swapped to the cylindrical shape bottle when I got my last 2 prescriptions & my symptoms have been back (anxious, tearful, irritable, can’t sleep, hot & sweaty overnight, random spotting & cramping, return of VA symptoms)
Switched back to the blue lid style bottle yesterday morning & I slept 10 hours last night, have woken up feeling mentally, emotionally and physically like a different person. I’m peri so aware of fluctuations but the difference has been astonishing.
I’m going to use the blue lid gel for a few days & note how I’m feeling. Then I’ll switch back to the cylinder bottle and note how I’m feeling.
Both are batch number 7*** & the blue lid has an orange square.
I don’t put that much trust in what big pharma or any other powerful organisations tell us (ultimately they let us know what they want us to know). But I do know how I feel.

Hi Mayflier Your symptoms are the best thing to know if you are getting enough or too much. I’m trying to find out the same thing as on the NHS app there doesn’t seem to be a range for women on hrt. Regarding the testosterone that is symptom prescribed too, but you’ll be given regular blood tests to make sure you stay within the female range.. your testosterone could be within range but it’s your free testosterone they need to work out.

Couldn't agree more @FunnyCradock . I don't trust either! I also go by my symptoms, we know how our bodies work & mine have also been off. Wish the orange square bottles were available here, just ploughing through trying to find balance with this Oestrodose. 🙄

Hi all....for those of us with sensitively to the changes in the oestrogel, I have just completely own experiment. I noticed all my symptoms returned with a VENGENCE since starting the new cyclindrical bottle. I come from research/evidence based background with enough experience to know that I need to test the alternative and mitigating factors before throwing anything around with proof. I went back on the old bottle 10 days ago and within 2 days i was back to myself. I them decided to try 37.5mg patch and 2 pumps of the new cylinder bottles to see if there was absorbing issue..again my symptoms returned but only mildly debilitating although anxiety still prevalent. Next I tried patch 37.mg with 2 pumps of old gel...within 1 day I felt right as rain. I am now certain the new gel is not effective. My next test is to return to the new gel and see how I fare but I do feel it would be wise to give myself some time feeling well. That gives me time to document and observe a decline if any and at what rate. Complaint lodged to Hpra and hoping for some answers. On another note; 3 different pharmacies told me I wasn't the first lady to complain about the new gel. FYI hope this information helps.

@Kilkennymom when you say new gel, do you mean the Oestrodose gel? Just wondering because all my symptoms came back whilst using this, & ive just started using it again as only gel available atm. Trying to increase pumps to see if this works 🤷🏻‍♀️
Thank you for your info btw

Hi Sam

The new bottle is the one on the right.x

Hi Helswatts
Ah thank you. Haven't come across that bottle yet. Im sure i will 🙄Thanks for reply 😊x

Hi Sam Nor me 🤣. It’s my friends bottle but will get an update from her.x

Evening ladies

Here’s some information attached from peri and me on Instagram, so many of us all can’t be going mad!!!

Thanks again @Helswatts for your info. Explains why i and so many others feel so poop😔

Out of interest @Helswatts where are posters finding the info about where the gel is manufactured? I've got a bottle, from 9 months ago not yet used. Green square, batch number starting with 1. (All of mine for the last year were batches starting with 1.)

All the info on the pack says made in France. I have now got a new supply , one of which has an orange square and the batch number 7, but the packaging and manufacturing site is the same - France.

These are the flagon bottles like the one on the left in the original photo.

The patient information leaflet is clear. Oestrogel is manufactured by Laboratories Besins International OR Besins Manufacturing Belgium.

LBI is in Montrouge, Paris, France.

BMB (recently acquired from Delpharm) is in Drogenbos, Belgium.

Oestrodose patient information leaflet says it's manufactured by LBI.

Hope that helps.

And the green square 🟩 means it's manufactured by LBI, while the orange square 🟧 means it's manufactured by BMB.

Thanks for this.

It doesn't correspond to my supply.

The Patient Leaflet in both the older supply (flagon bottle, batch nos. 1).... says manufactured in either France and Belgium (and exactly the same in my newest supply which is a mix of green and orange squares.) It doesn't specify which on the Patient Leaflet although the cardboard box says France.

Talking about Oestrogel in all of the above.

Not had 'Dose for years and only when there was a serious shortage.

(It's called Oestrodose in France but Oestrogel for the UK market.)

The coloured squares are used to differentiate the manufacturing sites, according to the EU rules. It's not and information for patients.

Very confusing!

Where have you found this info? Love a link!

Are you yourself using gel and having issues?

I have used the gel 4 years ago when I started investigating it during the first bouts of shortage. I will upload the article I wrote and share the link later on today. Working!