Elleste Duet tablets

Elleste Duet is a hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It contains two types of female hormones, an oestrogen (estradiol hemihydrate) and a progestogen (norethisterone acetate). Elleste Duet is used for:

Relief of symptoms occurring after menopause

In the years leading up to menopause, the amount of the oestrogen produced by a woman’s body drops. This can cause symptoms such as hot face, neck and chest (hot flashes). Elleste Duet alleviates these symptoms after menopause. You will only be prescribed Elleste Duet if your symptoms seriously hinder your daily life.

Prevention of osteoporosis

After menopause some women may develop fragile bones (osteoporosis). Elleste Duet tablets can be prescribed to reduce this risk.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.

The Elleste Duet 1 mg pack contains 16 white tablets and 12 pale green tablets.

• You must start with the white tablets.

The Elleste Duet 2 mg pack contains 16 orange tablets and 12 grey tablets.

• You must start with the orange tablets.

If you are still having regular periods, start on the first day of bleeding.

If you are not having regular periods, you can start straight away.

• Take one tablet each day. You can take the tablet at a time of the day that suits you but it is best to take it at about the same time each day.
• Swallow the tablets whole, with some water.
• Follow the direction of the arrows on the pack and take a tablet each day until the pack is empty.
• When you finish your first foil strip, start a new strip on the next day.

You will probably have a monthly bleed. This may start any time between day 21 of the pack to day 5 of the next pack. This pattern will usually be the same from month to month. Some women may have no bleeds. In the first few months you may get irregular bleeding. However, if this carries on you should tell your doctor.

For more information and use of Elleste Duet, see the package leaflet.

If you forget to take Elleste Duet

Take the tablet as soon as you remember, and take the next one at the normal time.

If you have missed your tablet by more than 12 hours, dispose of this tablet safely and take the next one at the normal time. Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten tablet. You may experience some breakthrough bleeding or spotting.

If you take more Elleste Duet than you should

There should be no problems, but you may experience certain symptoms (see the package leaflet for details). If you are worried, contact your doctor. Take the usual tablet the following day.

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. More information about these risks can be found in the package leaflet.

Do not take Elleste Duet if any of the following applies to you.

• You have or have ever had breast cancer, or if you are suspected of having it.
• You have cancer which is sensitive to oestrogens, such as cancer of the womb lining (endometrium), or if you are suspected of having it.
• You have any unexplained vaginal bleeding.
• You have excessive thickening of the womb lining (endometrial hyperplasia) that is not being treated.
• 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).
• You have a blood clotting disorder (such as protein C, protein S, or antithrombin deficiency).
• You have or recently have had a disease caused by blood clots in the arteries, such as a heart attack, stroke or angina.
• You have or have ever had a liver disease and your liver function tests have not returned to normal.
• You have a rare blood problem called ‘porphyria' which is passed down in families (inherited).
• You are allergic to estradiol hemihydrate or norethisterone acetate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.

If any of the above conditions appear for the first time while taking Elleste Duet, stop taking it at once and consult your doctor immediately.

Note: there are more warnings associated with Elleste Duet. For a complete list of warnings and precautions, please see the package leaflet.

• Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines. Some medicines may interfere with the effect of Elleste Duet (see the package leaflet for more information).
• If you are going to have surgery, you may need to stop taking Elleste Duet. Tell the surgeon that you are taking Elleste Duet or consult your doctor.
• Elleste Duet is for use in postmenopausal women only. If you become pregnant, stop taking Elleste Duet and contact your doctor.

Elleste Duet is not suitable for everyone. This is why this medicine is only available on prescription. During an online consultation, the doctor will decide if this medicine is suitable for you. You can order Elleste Duet tablets with a prescription from the doctor.

The current price of Elleste Duet tablets is listed on our order page. This is an all-in price which includes the cost for the online consultation and a service fee.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

The following diseases are reported more often in women using HRT compared to women not using HRT:

• Breast cancer.
• Abnormal growth or cancer of the lining of the womb (endometrial hyperplasia or cancer).
• Ovarian cancer.
• Blood clots in the veins of the legs or lungs (venous thromboembolism).
• Heart disease.
• Stroke.
• Probable memory loss if HRT is started over the age of 65.

For more information about these side effects, see the package leaflet.

The following side effects have been associated with Elleste Duet:

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

Headache, breast pain, breast tenderness, painful periods, problems with your menstrual cycle.

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people): 

Feeling down, feeling anxious, mood changes, changes in sex drive, feeling dizzy, difficulty sleeping, feeling sick, bloating, diarrhoea, indigestion, stomach cramps, acne, rashes, itchiness, dry skin, back pain, pain in the extremities, breast enlargement, heavy periods, vaginal discharge, break‑through bleeding, spasms (contractions) of the womb, vaginal infection, excessive thickening of the lining of the womb, pain, feeling of

weakness, swelling of the ankles, feet or fingers, increase in weight.

This list is not exhaustive. See the package leaflet for a list of all possible side effects. If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the leaflet.

Each strip of Elleste Duet 1 mg contains the active substances:

• 16 white tablets containing 1 milligram estradiol (as hemihydrate).
• 12 pale green tablets containing 1 milligram estradiol (as hemihydrate) and 1 milligram norethisterone acetate.

Each strip of Elleste Duet 2 mg contains the active substances:

• 16 orange tablets containing 2 milligrams estradiol (as hemihydrate).
• 12 grey tablets containing 2 milligrams estradiol (as hemihydrate) and 1 milligram norethisterone acetate.

The tablets also contain: lactose monohydrate, maize starch, povidone, talc, magnesium stearate, macrogol 400 and hypromellose (E464).

• Elleste Duet 1 mg contains the colours indigo carmine (E132), quinoline yellow (E104) and titanium dioxide (E171).
• Elleste Duet 2 mg contains the colours sunset yellow (E110), titanium dioxide (E171) and black iron oxide (E172).