Femoston

Femoston is hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for patients with oestrogen deficiency symptoms in postmenopausal women who haven’t had a period for at least 6 months. Femoston contains two hormones: oestradiol (oestrogen) and dydrogesterone (progesterone). Each tablet contains oestradiol (as hemihydrate) or a combination of oestradiol (as hemihydrate) and 10mg dydrogesterone. Femoston 1/10 and Femoston 2/10, are continuous sequential hormone replacement therapies. This kind of treatment is beneficial for patients with a womb/uterus who may still have irregular (no bleed in last 6 months) periods. Most women will experience monthly bleeds whilst taking Femoston 1/10 and 2/10.

Femoston 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”). Femoston alleviates these symptoms after menopause.

Please Note: Femoston 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.

Take one tablet every day, without a break between packs. Swallow the tablet with water, with or without food. You should always aim to give yourself the lowest dose for the shortest time to treat your symptoms. Speak to your doctor if you think this dose is too strong or not strong enough.

The usual starting dose is:

During day 1 to 14 of the cycle, 1 tablet daily containing 1 or 2 mg oestradiol.

During day 15 to 28 of the cycle, 1 tablet daily containing 1 or 2 mg oestradiol and 10 mg dydrogesterone.

Immediately after the 28-day cycle you should begin the next treatment.

The days of the week are printed on the back of the blister strips. The tablets from the part marked with arrow 1 should be taken first, then the tablets from the part marked with arrow 2 should be taken.

If you are not having periods and are not taking any other Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) preparations, or you are switching from a combined continuous HRT product, you can start taking Femoston on any convenient day.

If you are currently using a ‘cyclic’ or ‘sequential’ HRT preparation (which involves taking an oestrogen tablet or patch for part of the month, followed by both oestrogen and progestogen tablet or patch for up to 14 days) start taking Femoston the day after you finish the pack i.e. at the end of the progestogen phase.

The different tablet strengths are colour-coded for your convenience. If you are taking Femoston to treat symptoms of the menopause (change of life), your treatment should begin with the dosage Femoston 1/10. Your Family Chemist Clinician will then increase this dose according to your symptoms.

If you forget to take Femoston: Take the missed tablet as soon as you remember. If it is more than 12 hours since you took the last one, take the next dose without taking the forgotten tablet. Do not take a double dose. Bleeding or spotting may occur if you miss a dose.

Like all medicines, Femoston can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects are reported more often in women using HRT compared to women not using HRT:

Very common (in more than 1 in 10 patients treated):

• headache
• abdominal pain
• back pain
• breast pain or tenderness

Common (in less than 1 in 10, but more than 1 in 100 patients treated):

• vaginal thrush (a vaginal infection due to a fungus called Candida albicans)
• depression
• nervousness
• migraine
• dizziness
• feeling sick
• vomiting
• wind (flatulence)
• allergic skin reactions (including rash or itching)
• unscheduled bleeding or spotting, heavy, irregular
• or painful periods
• pelvic pain
• vaginal discharge
• generally feeling unwell, weak or tired
• swelling of the ankles, feet or fingers (peripheral oedema)
• 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 Femoston

• 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 a tumor which is sensitive to progestogen, such as a tumor of the brain (meningioma)
• 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 (hypersensitive) to oestradiol/ dydrogesterone or any of the other ingredients of Femoston

If any of the above conditions appear for the first time while taking Femoston, 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 Femoston. 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
• increased risk of getting an 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 Femoston’ 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

Medicines Compendium

Patient Info

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NHS Conditions