Kliovance

Kliovance® is a continuous combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). It contains two types of female hormones, an oestrogen and a progestagen. Kliovance® is used in postmenopausal women with at least 1 year since their last natural period.

Kliovance 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”). Kliovance alleviates these symptoms after menopause.

Kliovance is a continuous combined HRT product intended for use in women with an intact uterus. Each film-coated tablet contains Estradiol 1 mg (as estradiol hemihydrate) and norethisterone acetate 0.5 mg.

Please Note: Kliovance 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 once a day, at about the same time each day. Once you have finished all the 28 tablets in the pack, start a new pack continuing the treatment without interruption. You may start treatment with Kliovance® on any convenient day. However, if you are switching from an HRT product when you have monthly bleeding, start your treatment straight after the bleeding has ended.

If you forget to take your tablet at the usual time, take it within the next 12 hours. If more than 12 hours have gone by, skip the missed dose and start again as normal the next day. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet. Forgetting a dose may increase the likelihood of breakthrough bleeding and spotting if you still have your womb.

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

Very common side effects (affects more than 1 user in 10)

• Breast pain or breast tenderness
• Vaginal bleeding.

Common side effects (affects 1 to 10 users in 100)

• Headache
• Weight gain caused by fluid retention
• Vaginal inflammation
• Migraine, new or worse than before
• Vaginal infection with a fungus
• Depression, new or worse than before
• Nausea
• Enlargement or swelling of the breasts (breast oedema)
• Back pain
• Uterine fibroid (benign tumour), aggravation, occurrence or reoccurrence
• Swelling of arms and legs (peripheral oedema)
• Weight increase.

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 Kliovance®

If any of the following applies to you. If you are not sure about any of the points below, talk to your doctor before taking Kliovance®.

Do not take Kliovance®:

• If you have, have had or suspect having breast cancer.
• If you have, or have had 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 previously 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 estradiol, norethisterone acetate or any of the other ingredients of Kliovance®

If any of the above conditions appear for the first time while taking Kliovance®, 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 Kliovance®. If so, you should see your doctor more often for check-ups:

• fibroids inside your womb
• growth of the 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
• lactose intolerance.

Stop taking Kliovance® and see a doctor immediately

If you notice any of the following when taking HRT:

• any of the conditions mentioned in the ‘Do not take Kliovance®’ section
• yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice). These may be signs of a liver disease
• 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.1046.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/