Elleste Duet Conti

Elleste Duet Conti Tablets are a form of continuous HRT, which means they provide a steady hormone level without any breaks. They're designed for women who are postmenopausal and have not had a period for at least a year. These tablets contain two synthetic female hormones: an oestrogen and a progestogen.

The synthetic oestrogen supplements the oestrogen hormones that decrease during menopause. A lack of oestrogen can lead to symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, and reduced libido, along with other menopausal issues. Oestrogen also helps prevent osteoporosis, which is a condition that makes bones weaker. Progesterone helps lower the risk of womb cancer by thinning the lining of the womb.

During menopause, your body produces less oestrogen. This can lead to various symptoms such as night sweats, hot flushes, trouble sleeping, reduced libido, vaginal dryness, low mood, and anxiety. You might not have all these symptoms, but HRT can help you feel more like yourself again.

After menopause, some women might experience fragile bones, known as osteoporosis, due to low oestrogen levels. Combined HRT can be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis, particularly if other treatments aren't appropriate. According to a review from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) hormone therapy trials, using HRT—whether it's oestrogen alone or combined with progesterone—lowers the risk of hip and other fractures related to osteoporosis in generally healthy women.

Estradiol is the synthetic oestrogen found in Elleste Duet Conti. It helps to replace the oestrogen your body is missing, which in turn eases the symptoms mentioned earlier by restoring oestrogen levels.

If you haven't had a hysterectomy (which is when your womb is removed), higher oestrogen levels can cause the lining of your womb to become thicker. This can increase the risk of womb cancer, known as endometrial hyperplasia. In combined HRT, progesterone is added to help lower this risk by shedding the womb lining. In Elleste Duet Conti, the progesterone used is norethisterone.

Elleste Duet Conti is designed for women who are postmenopausal and haven't had a period for at least a year. If you're going through menopause and are at risk of osteoporosis, but can't take other treatments, Elleste Duet Conti can be used to help with this.

With continuous HRT, you take a tablet every day without any breaks, and each tablet in the pack has the same hormone dose. This type of HRT is suitable for women who haven't had a period for at least twelve months, meaning they won't experience a monthly bleed while on this treatment.

Sequential HRT, such as Elleste Duet, is suitable for women who are about six to twelve months past their last period or are still menstruating but having menopausal symptoms. You take oestrogen daily throughout your 28-day cycle, and in the second half of the month, you also take progesterone. This will lead to a monthly bleed similar to a period.

When you tell our experts where you are in your menopause journey, they can recommend the best options to help manage your symptoms.

Elleste Duet Conti Tablets come in just one dose: 2mg of estradiol and 1mg of norethisterone. If you need a different dose, you'll have to switch treatments. It's a good idea to begin with the treatment your doctor has recommended to see how it suits you. If you're considering a higher or lower dose, please talk to our clinician before making any changes.

If you require a different dose of the same hormones, there are similar options available. For instance, Evorel Conti is a patch that delivers a higher dose (3.2/11.2mg) of the same active ingredients. On the other hand, Kliovance is a combined HRT tablet with a lower dose of estradiol (1mg) and norethisterone (0.5mg).

Elleste Duet is a type of sequential or cyclical HRT. While it has the same active ingredients and functions in the same way, the hormone levels it provides differ from those in Elleste Duet Conti. If you're still having periods or it's been over six months since your last one, Elleste Duet is suitable for you.

With Elleste Duet, you take oestrogen daily throughout your cycle, and in the second half of the month, you also take progesterone with the oestrogen. This leads to a bleed similar to a period. Depending on your dose, you'll have two different coloured tablets to remind you which to take when – one contains just estradiol, and the other contains both estradiol and norethisterone. With Elleste Duet Conti, you have a single type of tablet with both hormones, which you take every day without a break.

Certainly, you can. Your doctor will guide you on how to make the switch. If you typically have a monthly period, begin taking Elleste Duet Conti on the first day of your period. If you don't have a monthly period, you can start taking Elleste Duet Conti whenever it suits you.

Yes, in some respects, Kliofem is similar to Elleste Duet Conti because it contains the same hormones and is also a continuous combined HRT medication. It's recommended for postmenopausal women who haven't had a period for at least a year.

If you're postmenopausal, our clinicians will suggest suitable treatments for you to consider.

As with most medications, Elleste Duet Conti may cause side effects, but not every woman will have them.

The side effects people most often notice include headaches, tender breasts, and painful or irregular periods. Other side effects, which may occur in up to one in ten people, include mood swings, changes in sex drive, dizziness, trouble sleeping, feeling sick, diarrhoea, acne, weight changes, and muscle pain.

If you're worried about side effects or think you might be experiencing them, it's important to inform your doctor straight away. You might need to switch to a lower dose or a different type of HRT medication.

The oestrogen in Elleste Duet Conti is regarded as body identical. It contains synthetic estradiol, which is chemically and biologically the same as the estradiol produced by the human body. The progesterone in it, norethisterone, is synthetic and not considered body identical. Only micronised progesterone is body identical because it matches the chemical structure of the human hormone.

You'll need a prescription for Elleste Duet Conti because our prescribers must first ensure that you meet the criteria to take it and that it's the safest choice for your menopause symptoms.