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[Tina1957]

Hi Ladies
It has been a while since I have been on here!!
I have struggled through my menopause journey until I was diagnosed as being severely intolerant to all forms of Progesterone after suffering many allergic reactions trying different HRTs.
Four years ago, after researching myself,I read about a new HRT Duavive, which used Bazedoxifene instead of Progesterone and my Consultant agreed to prescribe it due to my debilitating hot flushes.
For four years I have been flush free and finally had my life back!!!
Three months ago I was told by my Pharmacist Duavive had been recalled and now it has been discontinued!😔
The hot flushes/sweats returned with avengance after just a week of stopping Duavive and once again I am struggling to function!
In the past I did try Gabapentin, which only worked for a short time so do not want to try that again.  Hoping to get an appointment with the GP next week, but just wanted to ask if anyone has had success with non-hormonal treatments for flushes?
I am now 62 Post-Meno, but still experiencing severe hot flushes/sweats (started when I was 47).
Many thanks
Tina x

[CLKD]

Hi!  I would pay for advice from Dr Currie ...........

[cityrat]

Here in the US according to my pharmacy Duavee is only backordered  not discontinued and will be available after January 2021.

My doc put me on the same dose of Prempro in the meantime. I supplement with estradiol patch. I am really hating the progesterone (causes depression/anhedonia and terrible lethargy as bc pills have also done for me) and hope to maybe tweak this to find a progesterone regimen or type that doesn’t have such bad effects.

[Hurdity]

Yes this has been publicised and I presume it's for commercial reasons - the British Menopause Society HRT update from last September mentioned it:

https://thebms.org.uk/2020/09/british-menopause-society-further-update-on-hrt-supply-shortages-28th-september-2020/

"In 2018 Pfizer communicated that it planned to discontinue Duavive in the UK. Pfizer have continued to supply Duavive to patients since then but now all remaining supplies have been exhausted."

The only alternative is for a menopause consultant to prescribe the two components separately ie the oestrogen (premarin) and the bazedoxifene, but the dose of premarin available is different - which could be problematic. You could probably do alternate days 2 tabs and 1 tab with the 0.3 mg tabs for Premarin which would give you the same amount (0.45 mg per day). However bazedoxifene as far as I know is not available in UK. There is a prodyct called "Conbriza" which has the same amount of bazedoxifene as Duavive ( 20 mg) and was approved in EU though not marketed in UK I don't think? Might be worth contacting Pfizer directly?

I will also bump the thread for you where I reproduced the abstract of a paper which discussed non-hormonal treatments for hot flushes - aimed at women who have/had breast cancer or cannot take HRT for other reasons.

Hope this helps - I feel your pain! I dread to think what would happen if I stopped hRT and I am mid 60's!

Hurdity x

[cityrat]

Hmm very interesting to hear of Conbriza, first I’d heard of it. I will ask my doc about it. Than you for that info!