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[SusanT66]

Hi

I took Elleste Duet for 3 months and it made a tremendous difference to energy levels, mood, libido , hot flushes. Only side effect was extreme breast tenderness which was beginning to resolve with use of safflower oil. I had a withdrawl bleed at 14, 27 and 28 days. At my review appointment I asked to try Femoston 1/10 as I had read here it contained a type of progesterone closer to the type our body makes. I am now into my second pack, have had no withdrawal bleed and feel awful. I feel almost back to where I was pre HRT. Is it the change in HRT.? Should I go back to elleste or stick with Femoston for full 3 months? Feeling gutted because I had been feeling so well.

[dands]

I could've written your post. I did exactly the same as you, started with Elleste Duet and felt great. Changed to Femoston 1/10 for the same reasons and felt so awful. I piled on weight and my mood was murderous.

Have since changed to Estradot patch and Utrogestan/Cyclogest at the recommendation of the gynaecologist. I changed for bone health reasons due to my Mum having an early menopause and osteoporosis but I was ready to try anything.

Not at the progesterone stage yet but am now on my second week of the patches and feel marvellous. My husband has said the change in my mood is remarkable and my children have also noticed. Now I just need to shift this extra 1.5 stones.

[SusanT66]

How interesting. I wonder why Elleste was better? How long did you stay on Femoston for? Why did you not go back to Elleste? Just not sure what to do. Thanks for replying.

[Taz2]

Product characteristics for Elleste Duet https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/20962 and for Femoston 1/10 https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/2493

It might be helpful to look at them side by side to see what the actual difference is. It seems as if the Femoston has 10mg of progesterone and the Elleste Duet only 1 mg. Not sure if that makes a difference to how you are feeling. The oestradiol appears to be the same in both products.

Can I ask - if the Elleste was suiting you why did you want to change? It can take quite a while to find the right type of HRT. Some women do react to norethisterone and experience pmt type symptoms but you seem to be ok with that so, if it were me, I would ask to go back onto Elleste.

Taz x

[dands]

I was on Femoston for approx. 6 months. I wanted to try the patches rather than go back on Elleste as I know they bypass the liver. Also the gynae recommended Utrogestan and I was keen to be on this type of progesterone.

[dahliagirl]

Elleste and Femoston contain different amounts of progestogen because they are different types of progestogen and are not directly comparable.  They will require different amounts to do the same thing.  Some are 'stronger' than others, and norithisterone is a particularly strong one, so you only need a small amount.

It could be that if you had continued on Elleste beyond 3 months, you would have had further side effects.  I always found, when trying different contraceptive pills, that if you had difficult side effects, that you would be sure about it well within the 3 months, but it takes 6 months or longer to be aware of the more subtle ones.  In fact it took me nearly 30 years to realise that lowering of libido was one of them.    Also, if your oestrogen levels have been low, you will feel the difference initially, then symptoms will return if the dose is not high enough.