Estradiol/Norethisterone acetate
Consumer Medicine Information
When you must not use Trisequens®
What Trisequens® is used for
Before you take Trisequens®
How to take Trisequens®
While you are taking Trisequens®
Side effects
Storage
Product Description
Further information
User instructions
This leaflet answers some common questions about Trisequens®. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using Trisequens® against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any concerns about using this medicine.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.
Trisequens® is available only by prescription at pharmacies.
Do not use Trisequens® or other estrogens, with or without a progestagen to prevent heart attacks, stroke or dementia.
A study called the Women’s Health Initiative indicated increased risk of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, and blood clots in the legs or lungs in women receiving treatment with a product containing conjugated estrogens 0.625 mg and the progestagen medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). The researchers stopped the study after 5 years when it was determined the risks were greater than the benefits in this group. The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study indicated increased risk of dementia in women aged 65-79 years taking conjugated estrogens and MPA. There are no comparable data currently available for other doses of conjugated estrogens and MPA or other combinations of estrogens and progestagens. Therefore, you should assume the risks will be similar for other medicines containing estrogen and progestagen combinations.
Talk regularly with your doctor about whether you still need treatment with Trisequens®.
Treatment with estrogens, with or without progestagens should be used at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest period of time.
Trisequens® is a type of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that relieves the symptoms of estrogen deficiency associated with the menopause. It is a short term symptomatic treatment, also used where these symptoms arise from medical or surgical procedures affecting the ovaries.
The menopause, a woman's last menstrual period, usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years. During this natural life transition, a woman slowly stops producing two female hormones called estrogen and progesterone. Menstrual periods become less frequent until they finally stop.
The falling hormone levels may cause you to experience uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats.
Trisequens® contains two hormones, an estrogen (estradiol) and a progestagen (norethisterone acetate). The estradiol in Trisequens® is identical to the estradiol produced in the ovaries of women, and is classified as a natural estrogen. Norethisterone acetate is a synthetic progestagen which acts in a similar manner as progesterone, another important female sex hormone.
The estrogen in Trisequens® relieves the symptoms caused by a lack of estrogen. The progestagen protects the lining of your womb from overstimulation by estrogen.
Your doctor may have prescribed Trisequens® for another reason.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Trisequens® has been prescribed for you.
Do not take Trisequens® if any of the following applies to you. Talk to your doctor before taking Trisequens® if you are not sure about any of the points below.
Do not take Trisequens®:
Stop taking Trisequens® at once and consult your doctor immediately if any of the above conditions appear for the first time while taking this medicine.
Medical history and regular check-ups
The use of HRT carries risks which need to be considered when deciding whether to start taking it, or whether to carry on taking it.
Talk to your doctor if you have a premature menopause. The experience in treating women with a premature menopause (due to ovarian failure or surgery) is limited. If you have a premature menopause the risks of using HRT may be different.
Before you start (or restart) HRT, your doctor will ask about your own and your family´s medical history. Your doctor may decide to perform a physical examination. This may include an examination of your breasts and/or an internal examination, if necessary.
Once you have started on Trisequens® you should see your doctor for regular check-ups (at least once a year).
At these check-ups, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of continuing with Trisequens®.
Go for regular breast screening as recommended by your doctor.
The experience of treating women older than 65 years’ is limited.
Warnings and precautions
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 Trisequens®.
If so, you should see your doctor more often for check-ups:
Stop taking Trisequens® and see a doctor immediately
Stop taking Trisequens® and see a doctor immediately if you notice any of the following when taking HRT:
For more information, see Blood clots in a vein (venous thromboembolism).
Note: Trisequens® 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.
Speak to your doctor for advice.
HRT and cancer
Excessive thickening of the lining of the womb (endometrial hyperplasia) and cancer of the lining of the womb (endometrial cancer)
Taking estrogen-only HRT will increase the risk of excessive thickening of the lining of the womb (endometrial hyperplasia) and cancer of the womb lining (endometrial cancer).
The progestagen in Trisequens® reduces this extra risk.
Compare
In women who still have a womb and who are not taking HRT, on average, 5 in 1,000 will be diagnosed with endometrial cancer between the ages of 50 and 65.
For women aged 50 to 65 who still have a womb and who take estrogen-only HRT, between 10 and 60 women in 1,000 will be diagnosed with endometrial cancer (i.e. between 5 and 55 extra cases), depending on the dose and for how long it is taken.
Irregular bleeding
You may have irregular bleeding or drops of blood (spotting) during the first 3-6 months of taking Trisequens®.
However, see your doctor as soon as possible if the irregular bleeding:
Breast cancer
Evidence suggests that taking combined estrogen-progestagen and possibly also estrogen-only HRT increases the risk of breast cancer. The extra risk depends on how long you take HRT. The additional risk becomes clear within a few years. However, it returns to normal within a few years (at most 5) after stopping treatment.
Compare
Women aged 50 to 79 who are not taking HRT, on average, 9 to 17 in 1,000 will be diagnosed with breast cancer over a 5-year period.
For women aged 50 to 79 who are taking estrogen-progestagen HRT over 5 years, there will be 13 to 23 cases in 1,000 users (i.e. an extra 4 to 6 cases).
Regularly check your breasts. See your doctor if you notice any changes such as:
Additionally, you are advised to join mammography screening programs when offered to you. For mammogram screening, it is important that you inform the nurse/healthcare professional who is actually taking the x-ray that you use HRT, as this medication may increase the density of your breasts which may affect the outcome of the mammogram. Where the density of the breast is increased, mammography may not detect all lumps.
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is rare - much rarer than breast cancer. The use of estrogen-only or combined estrogen-progestagen HRT has been associated with a slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer. The risk of ovarian cancer varies with age. For example, in women aged 50 to 54 who are not taking HRT, about 2 women in 2,000 will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer over a 5-year period. For women who have been taking HRT for 5 years, there will be about 3 cases per 2,000 users (i.e. about 1 extra case).
Effect of HRT on heart and circulation
Blood clots in a vein (venous thromboembolism)
The risk of blood clots in the veins is about 1.3 to 3 times higher in HRT users than in non-users, especially during the first year of taking it.
Blood clots can be serious, and if one travels to the lungs, it can cause chest pain, breathlessness, fainting or even death.
You are more likely to get a blood clot in your veins as you get older and if any of the following applies to you.
Inform your doctor if any of these situations applies to you:
For signs of a blood clot, see Stop taking Trisequens® and see a doctor immediately, above.
Compare
Looking at women in their 50s who are not taking HRT, on average, over a 5-year period, 4 to 7 in 1,000 would be expected to get a blood clot in a vein.
For women in their 50s who have been taking estrogen-progestagen HRT for over 5 years, there will be 9 to 12 cases in 1,000 users (i.e. an extra 5 cases).
Heart disease (heart attack)
There is no evidence that HRT will prevent a heart attack. Women over the age of 60 years who use estrogen-progestagen HRT are slightly more likely to develop heart disease than those not taking any HRT.
Stroke
The risk of getting stroke is about 1.5 times higher in HRT users than in non-users. The number of extra cases of stroke due to use of HRT will increase with age.
Compare
Looking at women in their 50s who are not taking HRT, on average, 8 in 1,000 would be expected to have a stroke over a 5-year period.
For women in their 50s who are taking HRT, there will be 11 cases in 1,000 users over 5 years (i.e. an extra 3 cases).
Other conditions
HRT will not prevent memory loss. There is some evidence of a higher risk of memory loss in women who start using HRT after the age of 65. Speak to your doctor for advice.
Tell your doctor or the laboratory staff that you are taking Trisequens® if you need a blood test. This is because this medicine can affect the results of some tests.
Tell your doctor if you are taking or plan to take other medicines, including:
Or other specific medicines including:
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop. The effect of Trisequens® can be reduced by other medicines, and may affect your vaginal bleeding pattern.
Read carefully the instructions included in this leaflet, in order to correctly use the calendar pack.
Your doctor will tell you when to start taking the tablets. If you are still having periods, you would usually take the first tablet on the fifth day after the start of your period. If your periods have stopped or have become infrequent, the first tablet can be taken as soon as you get the product.
Take one tablet a day, preferably at the same time each day, until all 28 tablets have been taken.
Days 1–12: Take one blue tablet every day for 12 days.
Days 13–22: Take one white tablet every day for 10 days.
Days 23–28: Take one red tablet every day for 6 days.
Swallow each tablet with a glass of water. When you have finished each pack, start the next pack immediately.
HRT should be prescribed at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest duration necessary (see Before you start to take it). The continuation of the treatment should be re-evaluated annually. Women who have undergone a premature menopause (e.g. hysterectomy) may require longer term treatment.
You can always see if you have taken your tablet by looking at the day on the calendar pack.
If you forget to take a tablet at the usual time, throw away the tablet you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
You may have vaginal bleeding or spotting if you forget to take more than 1 tablet. Ask your doctor for advice.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.
If you take more tablets than you have been prescribed, contact your doctor for advice.
Overdose may cause nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, swelling due to fluid retention (oedema), breast enlargement and build up of the lining of the womb.
Tell the surgeon that you are taking Trisequens® if you are going to have surgery.
You may need to stop taking Trisequens® about 4 to 6 weeks before the operation to reduce the risk of a blood clot (see Blood clots in a vein (venous thromboembolism)).
Ask your doctor when you can start taking Trisequens® again.
You can expect your symptoms to improve within a few months of starting Trisequens®. You will normally have a period while taking the red tablets or the last few white tablets. This is because Trisequens® mimics the natural menstrual cycle.
Trisequens® can be stopped at any time. You should discuss this with your doctor.
At your routine check-up, your doctor may reassess your continued need for Trisequens®.
Stop taking Trisequens® and contact your doctor if you become pregnant.
Do not take Trisequens® if you are breast-feeding.
If you have any concerns about taking Trisequens®, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking Trisequens®, return any unused medicine to your pharmacist.
This medicine is for you only. Do not give it to someone else even if they seem to have the same symptoms as you.
Do not take Trisequens® to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not change the way you take Trisequens® or lower the dosage, without checking with your doctor.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you experience any side effects while you are taking Trisequens® (whether or not they are mentioned below).
You may need medical treatment if you experience some of the side effects.
When you start taking Trisequens® your body has to adjust to new hormone levels. You may experience the following side effects:
These side effects are usually temporary and disappear.
Tell your doctor if:
Tell your doctor immediately if any of the following conditions occur (because you may be told to stop taking Trisequens®):
Tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
This list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are very rare.
Heart disease
Talk to your doctor to see if you should be taking HRT if you have ever had heart disease.
HRT is not recommended for women who have heart disease, or have had heart disease recently. If you have ever had heart disease,
HRT will not help to prevent heart disease.
Studies with one type of HRT (containing conjugated estrogen plus the progestagen MPA) have shown that women may be slightly more likely to get heart disease during the first year of taking the medication. For other types of HRT, the risk is likely to be similar, although this is not yet certain.
See a doctor as soon as possible and do not take any more HRT until your doctor says you can if you get:
This pain could be a sign of heart disease.
Stroke
Recent research suggests that HRT slightly increases the risk of having a stroke. Other things that can increase the risk of stroke include:
Talk to your doctor to see if you should take HRT if you are worried about any of these things, or if you have had a stroke in the past.
See a doctor as soon as possible and do not take any more HRT until your doctor says you can if you get:
Blood clots
HRT may increase the risk of blood clots in the veins (also called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT), especially during the first year of taking it.
These blood clots are not always serious, but if one travels to the lungs, it can cause chest pain, breathlessness, collapse or even death. This condition is called pulmonary embolism, or PE.
DVT and PE are examples of a condition called venous thromboembolism, or VTE.
You are more likely to get a blood clot if:
If any of these things apply to you, talk to your doctor to see if you should take HRT.
See a doctor as soon as possible and do not take any more HRT until your doctor says you can if you get:
These may be signs of a blood clot.
Breast cancer
Women who have breast cancer, or have had breast cancer in the past, should not take HRT.
Taking HRT slightly increases the risk of breast cancer; so does having a later menopause. The risk for a post-menopausal woman taking estrogen-only HRT for 5 years is about the same as for a woman of the same age who’s still having periods over that time and not taking HRT. The risk for a woman who is taking estrogen plus progestagen HRT is higher than for estrogen-only HRT (but estrogen plus progestagen HRT is beneficial for the endometrium, see ‘Endometrial cancer’ below).
For all kinds of HRT, the extra risk of breast cancer goes up the longer you take it, but seems to return to normal after stopping HRT.
Your risk of breast cancer is also higher if:
Make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any changes in your breast, such as:
Endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the womb)
Taking estrogen-only HRT for a long time can increase the risk of cancer of the lining of the womb (the endometrium). Taking a progestagen as well as the estrogen helps to lower the extra risk.
If you still have your womb, your doctor may prescribe a progestagen as well as estrogen. If so, these may be prescribed separately, or as a combined HRT product.
If you have had your womb removed (a hysterectomy), your doctor will discuss with you whether you can safely take estrogen without a progestagen.
If you have had your womb removed because of endometriosis, any endometrium left in your body may be at risk. So your doctor may prescribe HRT that includes a progestagen as well as an estrogen.
Your product, Trisequens®, contains a progestagen.
If you get breakthrough bleeding or spotting, it’s usually nothing to worry about, especially during the first few months of taking HRT.
Make an appointment to see your doctor if the bleeding or spotting:
It could be a sign that your endometrium has become thicker.
Ovarian cancer
Long-term (at least 5 - 10 years’) use of estrogen-only HRTs and estrogen plus progestagen HRTs has been associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer in some epidemiological studies.
In addition to the possible side effects listed above, dementia has been reported with HRT.
Do not be alarmed by these lists of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Keep all medicines out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and label. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Keep Trisequens® in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Do not put Trisequens® in the refrigerator.
Keep the calendar pack in the outer carton in order to protect from light.
Do not throw away any medicines down the sink or in your household rubbish. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use.
These measures will help to preserve the environment.
Trisequens® comes in a calendar pack. Each pack holds 28 round tablets.
Trisequens® contains:
12 blue tablets marked ‘NOVO 280’ on one side.
10 white tablets marked ‘NOVO 281’ on one side
6 red tablets marked ‘NOVO 282’ on one side
Each blue tablet contains 2 mg estradiol (as hemihydrate) as the active ingredient and indigo carmine CI73015 (E132) as a colouring agent.
Each white tablet contains 2 mg estradiol (as hemihydrate) and 1mg norethisterone acetate as the active ingredients.
Each red tablet contains 1 mg estradiol (as hemihydrate) as the active ingredient and iron oxide red CI77491 (E172) as a colouring agent.
The tablets also contain lactose, maize starch, talc, magnesium stearate, hyprolose, hypromellose, titanium dioxide (E171) (red and blue tablets only), triacetin (white tablets only), macrogol 400 (blue tablets only) and propylene glycol (red tablets only).
Trisequens® is gluten-free.
Trisequens® is made in Denmark and supplied in Australia by:
Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd
Level 3
21 Solent Circuit
Baulkham Hills NSW 2153
This leaflet was prepared on 20 October 2016.
Australian Registration Number:
AUST R 192476
Trisequens® is a trademark owned by Novo Nordisk Health Care AG, Switzerland.
NovoCare® is a trademark owned by Novo Nordisk A/S.
© 2016
Novo Nordisk A/S
For further information call the NovoCare® Customer Care Centre on 1800 668 626.
www.novonordisk.com.au
sku | 9324627000184 |
---|---|
Tax Class | Taxable Goods |
Refrigeration Required | No |
Manufacturer | DHL - Novo Nordisk |
Poisons Schedule | S4 |
Flammable Goods | No |
Small orders (less than 500g) cost $7.70 to be delivered anywhere in Australia. For larger orders, shipping costs are calculated on distance and weight (leaving Sydney) and an exact price can be obtained in the shopping cart prior to checkout.
The Online Pharmacy offers Shipping DISCOUNT on orders over $150. A discount of $7.70 is automatically applied during checkout. Additional shipping costs for bulky goods or priority delivery are paid by the customer.
The weight limit for Australia Post is 22kg and orders that weigh more than this cannot be shipped. We recommend placing multiple smaller orders to work around this problem.
Please refer to our shipping page if you would like the full details regarding our shipping information.
The Online Pharmacy has a simple pricing structure for prescription medicines that does not involve the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
The advertised price is available to anyone with a valid Australian prescription.
Please be aware that when a prescription is dispensed as a private prescription you do not receive any safety net contribution toward your PBS safety net.
Always read the label. Follow directions for use. If symptoms persist talk to your healthcare professional. This medicine may not be right for you. Read the warnings before purchase. The pharmacist reserves the right to not supply contrary to our professional and ethical obligation.
Ordering your prescription medication online is simple once you understand the process. Please refer to the following guide before ordering prescription medicines for the first time.