Elleste Duet Conti

Elleste Duet Conti Tablets are a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). They contain two types of female hormones, an oestrogen (estradiol hemihydrate) and a progestogen(norethisterone acetate). Elleste Duet Conti Tablets are used in postmenopausal women with at least one year since their last natural period.

Elleste Duet Conti is used for relief of symptoms occurring after menopause. During the menopause, the amount of oestrogen produced by a woman’s body drops. This can cause symptoms such as hot face, neck and chest (“hot flushes”). Elleste Duet alleviates these symptoms after menopause.

Elleste Duet Conti is a continuous combined HRT. One grey tablet is taken daily. The oestrogen and the progestogen are given every day without interruption. This kind of treatment is beneficial for patients with a womb/uterus who have no periods for at least 12 months.

Please Note: Elleste Duet Conti is not a contraceptive. If it is less than 12 months since your last menstrual period or you are under 50 years old, you may still need to use additional contraception to prevent pregnancy. Do not use a hormonal contraceptive while using HRT.

If you are not taking any HRT, you can start taking Elleste Duet Conti Tablets straightaway.

• Take one tablet each day. You can take the tablets at a time of the day that suits you, but it is best to take them at about the same time each day.
• Swallow the tablets whole, with some water. All the tablets are the same.
• The days are marked on the strip to help you to remember to take one each day.
• Follow the direction of the arrows on the pack and take a tablet every day until the pack is empty.
• When you finish a foil strip, start a new strip the next day

If you forget to take Elleste Duet Conti take the tablet as soon as you remember, and take the next one at the normal time. If you have missed your tablet by more than 12 hours, dispose of this tablet safely and take the next one at the normal time. Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten tablet. You may experience some breakthrough bleeding or spotting.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects have been associated with Elleste Duet Conti:

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10): headache, breast pain, breast tenderness, painful periods, problems with your menstrual cycle.

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10) : feeling down, feeling anxious, mood changes, changes in sex drive, feeling dizzy, difficulty sleeping, feeling sick, bloating, diarrhoea, indigestion, stomach cramps, acne, rashes, itchiness, dry skin, back pain, pain in the extremities, breast enlargement, heavy periods, vaginal discharge, break-through bleeding, spasms (contractions) of the womb, vaginal infection, excessive thickening of the lining of the womb, pain, feeling of weakness, swelling of the ankles, feet or fingers, increase in weight.

The list above isn’t exhaustive. If you experience serious side effects or side effects lasting longer than 3 months then you should consult your doctor immediately.

Make sure you read the patient information leaflet for a full list of side effects, cautions and contraindications. You should only take HRT once you have understood all the warnings and precautions as HRT may increase your chances of getting certain cancers or cardiovascular disease. If you are concerned discuss this with your doctor or The Family Chemist clinician.

Do not take Elleste Duet Conti:

• If you have or have ever had breast cancer, or if you are suspected of having it
• If you have cancer which is sensitive to oestrogens, such as cancer of the womb lining (endometrium), or if you are suspected of having it
• If you have any unexplained vaginal bleeding
• If you have excessive thickening of the womb lining (endometrial hyperplasia) that is not being treated
• If you have or have ever had a blood clot in a vein (thrombosis), such as in the legs (deep venous thrombosis) or the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• If you have a blood clotting disorder (such as protein C, protein S, or antithrombin deficiency)
• If you have or recently have had a disease caused by blood clots in the arteries, such as a heart attack, stroke or angina
• If you have or have ever had a liver disease and your liver function tests have not returned to normal
• If you have a rare blood problem called “porphyria” which is passed down in families (inherited)
• If you are allergic to estradiol hemihydrate or norethisterone acetate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.

If any of the above conditions appear for the first time while taking Elleste Duet Conti, stop taking it at once and consult your doctor immediately.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any of the following problems, before you start the treatment, as these may return or become worse during treatment with Elleste Duet Conti. If so, you should see your doctor more often for check-ups:

• fibroids inside your womb
• growth of womb lining outside your womb (endometriosis) or a history of excessive growth of the womb lining (endometrial hyperplasia)
• increased risk of developing blood clots (see “Blood clots in a vein (thrombosis)”)
• increased risk of getting a oestrogen-sensitive cancer (such as having a mother, sister or grandmother who has had breast cancer)
• high blood pressure.
• a liver disorder, such as a benign liver tumour
• diabetes
• gallstones
• migraine or severe headaches
• a disease of the immune system that affects many organs of the body (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE)
• epilepsy
• asthma
• a disease affecting the eardrum and hearing (otosclerosis)
• a very high level of fat in your blood (triglycerides)
• fluid retention due to cardiac or kidney problems
• hereditary and acquired angioedema

If you notice any of the following when taking HRT:

• any of the conditions mentioned in the ‘DO NOT take Elleste Duet Conti’ section
• yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice). These may be signs of a liver disease
• swollen face, tongue and/or throat and/or difficulty swallowing or hives, together with difficulty breathing which are suggestive of an angioedema
• a large rise in your blood pressure (symptoms may be headache, tiredness, dizziness)
• migraine-like headaches which happen for the first time
• if you become pregnant
• if you notice signs of a blood clot, such as:
  • painful swelling and redness of the legs
  • sudden chest pain
  • difficulty in breathing

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.9511.pdf

https://www.womens-health-concern.org/

https://patient.info/medicine/oestrogen-and-progestogen-for-hrt

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/