FemSeven patches

FemSeven is a hormone patch. It is prescribed as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The patches contain the active ingredient estradiol, an oestrogen hormone. The hormone is gradually absorbed into the bloodstream from the patch to restore hormonal balance in postmenopausal women.

The medicine 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’). FemSeven alleviates these symptoms after menopause. You will only be prescribed FemSeven if your symptoms seriously hinder your daily life.

Prevention of osteoporosis

After menopause some women may develop fragile bones (osteoporosis). You should discuss all available options with your doctor. If you are at an increased risk of fractures due to osteoporosis and other medicines are not suitable for you, you can use FemSeven to prevent osteoporosis after menopause.

FemSeven is an oestrogen-only patch that should be applied to the skin once weekly on a continuous basis, i.e., each patch is replaced with a new one after seven days.

Always use FemSeven exactly as your doctor has told you.

Apply the patch according to the instructions in the package leaflet. The patches should NOT be applied on or near the breasts!

For more information on how to apply, wear and remove the patches, please see the package leaflet. If you have any questions, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Do not use FemSeven if:

• 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 vaginal bleeding for which the cause is not known.
• 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 an inherited disease (porphyria) characterised by an accumulation of toxic compounds (porphyrins) in the body.
• You are allergic (hypersensitive) to estradiol hemihydrate or any of the other ingredients of FemSeven.

If you are not sure of any of the above, consult your doctor before using FemSeven. If any of the above conditions appear for the first time while using FemSeven, stop using it at once and consult your doctor immediately.

Warning and precautions

Before you start the treatment:

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 FemSeven. If so, you should see your doctor more often for check-ups:

• Benign tumours of the womb (fibroids inside your womb).
• A growth of womb lining outside your womb (endometriosis).
• A history of abnormal growth of the womb lining (endometrial hyperplasia).
• Increased risk of developing blood clots (see the package leaflet for more information).
• An increased risk of getting a cancer which needs oestrogens for its development (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).
• Epilepsy.
• Asthma.
• A disease affecting the eardrum and hearing (otosclerosis).
• A very high level of fat in your blood (triglycerides).
• An increase in the amount of water in your body (fluid retention) due to cardiac or kidney problems.
• Hereditary and acquired angioedema.

Note: There are more warnings associated with the use of hormone patches. All risks and precautions are listed in the package leaflet. Consult a doctor if you are not sure if FemSeven is suitable for you.

Other medicines and FemSeven

FemSeven may interact with some medicines. For a list of these medicines, see the package leaflet. Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used or might use any other medicines including medicines obtained without a prescription, herbal medicines or other natural products. Your doctor will advise you.

• For women who still have their womb, a treatment with progestogen hormone will be added for the last 12 days of treatment with FemSeven at least.
• 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.
• If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon that you are using FemSeven. You may need to stop using FemSeven about four to six weeks before the operation to reduce the risk of a blood clot.

FemSeven patches are available on prescription only. A doctor can write a prescription for FemSeven after an online consultation. With this prescription you can order the patches from the pharmacy.

Would you like to know what FemSeven costs? The current price of FemSeven patches is listed on our order page. The price listed includes the cost for the consultation and a service fee.

Like all medicines, FemSeven can cause side effects; although not everybody gets them.

For a list of side effects requiring discontinuation of treatment, see the package leaflet.

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

• 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 may occur very commonly (in more than 1 in 10 people):

• Application site reactions.
• Itching (purities).
• Redness (erythema).
• Eczema.
• Urticaria.
• Swelling (oedema).
• Changes in skin pigmentation.

They were mostly mild skin reactions and usually disappeared two or three days after patch removal.

FemSeven 100 patches contain 3.0 milligrams of estradiol hemihydrate as the active ingredient. The patches deliver 100 micrograms of estradiol in each 24-hour period.

Estradiol is a type of hormone called an oestrogen.

The adhesive is made of a mixture of polymer and modified resin containing the active ingredients. The inactive ingredients are: transparent polyethylene terephthalate foil, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer and glycerine esters of hydrogenated resin acids.