Femseven

Femseven is a patch you apply to your skin to help relieve menopause symptoms. It's also called FemSeven Mono because it has just one active ingredient, estradiol hemihydrate, which is a type of oestrogen hormone. Some other HRT treatments include a medication called progestin, which is a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone. These are referred to as combined HRT.

FemSeven patches are designed for women who have gone through menopause and haven't had a period for more than a year. If you're beginning to notice perimenopausal symptoms and still have irregular periods (often called the menopausal transition), you'll be given a different treatment, such as Evorel Sequi.

Oestrogen-only HRT treatments, such as FemSeven, are most suitable for women who have had their womb removed (a hysterectomy). This is because taking oestrogen on its own for an extended period can raise the risk of developing endometrial hyperplasia (thickening of the womb lining) and endometrial cancer (cancer of the womb lining). If you haven't had a hysterectomy, you'll be prescribed a treatment that also includes progesterone. Progesterone helps to balance the effects of oestrogen in the body, lowering the increased risk of cancer.

The menopausal transition occurs when a woman's ovaries produce less oestrogen and progesterone as she ages. This drop in hormone levels can lead to symptoms such as low mood, anxiety, hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, and vaginal pain or dryness.

FemSeven patches are placed directly on your skin, enabling your body to absorb oestrogen from them. This helps to balance your body's oestrogen levels and alleviates menopause symptoms. Although it won't 'cure' menopause, it should make your symptoms much easier to handle, or possibly even eliminate them altogether.

FemSeven patches come in three different doses. You'll be given the lowest dose needed to manage your symptoms for the shortest time possible to reduce the chance of side effects. If you think your dose isn't quite right, whether it's too high or too low, have a chat with your clinician. They'll help you find the dose that suits you best.

The smallest dose of FemSeven patch you can get is FemSeven 50. Each patch has 1.5 milligrams of estradiol and delivers a 50 microgram dose daily. If this dose isn't enough to manage your symptoms, your doctor might recommend switching to FemSeven 75 patches. These have 2.25mg of estradiol and release 75 micrograms over 24 hours. The strongest dose available is FemSeven 100, with each patch containing 3mg of estradiol and releasing 100 micrograms per day.

While using FemSeven, you might experience some side effects, although not everyone does. The most common ones are vaginal bleeding, fluid retention, breast tenderness, headaches, and mood changes.

After using HRT for roughly three months, these side effects should subside.

One of the more serious side effects associated with HRT is a higher risk of certain cancers. Treatments containing only oestrogen, such as FemSeven, have been connected to a greater risk of endometrial cancer. Additionally, combined HRT medications have been reported to increase the risk of breast cancer.

If you've had a hysterectomy, you generally don't need to be concerned about the risk of endometrial cancer. However, if you have endometriosis, or have had it in the past, it's a different situation. Endometriosis involves tissue similar to the womb lining growing in other parts of the body. In such cases, you might still be at risk of endometrial cancer in those areas, and a combined treatment would be more suitable for you.

There is a connection between combined HRT and a higher risk of breast cancer, but this risk may be less for younger women. It's believed that during the menopausal transition, particularly close to menopause, the advantages of HRT treatment significantly outweigh the risks.

For women over 60, this might not apply.

Some women have mentioned putting on weight while on HRT. However, there's no scientific proof at the moment that HRT causes any noticeable weight gain.

In a study involving 142 postmenopausal women, participants were given either FemSeven or Systen. Both treatments helped alleviate symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, headaches, vaginal dryness, and loss of libido. Although both groups experienced an improvement in their health-related quality of life, the improvement was more significant in those using FemSeven compared to those using Systen.

There are many options available for HRT, depending on what you need. If you still have your uterus and require combined HRT, FemSeven Conti patches might be suitable. These patches contain the progestin levonorgestrel along with estradiol, which helps lower the increased risk of endometrial cancer associated with taking estradiol.

If you're experiencing irregular periods, FemSeven Sequi is a type of combined HRT known as sequential HRT. With sequential HRT, you take oestrogen-only HRT continuously, and then add a progestin for the last two weeks of your monthly cycle. This typically leads to a menstrual bleed towards the end of each month.

FemSeven is meant only for postmenopausal women, so it's not suitable for those who are pregnant. If you happen to become pregnant while using FemSeven, stop using it immediately and contact your doctor.

Yes, you'll need a prescription to use FemSeven patches. This is to make sure they're safe for you. Contact our experts, and they'll advise you on the most suitable HRT treatments for you.