Prempak-C is a hormone replacement therapy available in the form of a pill and in two strengths. Developed and manufactured by Pfizer pharmaceutical company, this branded medication is commonly prescribed to women struggling with menopausal symptoms in the UK, with the lower dose being successfully applied in those cases where higher doses contributed to side effects. As such, Prempak-C is not only highly adept at tackling issues related to menopause, but is also rather safe for women who are susceptible to side effects of this medication.

What’s on this page?

Officially classified as a sequential medication, one-month course of Prempak-C will include two different types of pills – with oestrogen only as well as with oestrogen and progesterone. You will be required to use these tablets at different times during your monthly course, and in a strict sequence.

When should I use HRTs?

Menopause is a completely natural process that will affect all women at a certain age and there is nothing you can really do to avert it. And in a vast majority of cases, there is no need for this, either. While menopausal symptoms certainly aren’t too pleasant, they tend to be mild and not that disruptive for the women affected.

However, there is a certain percentage of women who might experience more severe menopausal symptoms which can become so exacerbated that they begin having an impact on everyday life and activities. In these situations, hormone replacement therapies like Prempak-C might be recommended by the doctor, provided there are no obstacles to using them.

How does Prempak-C work?

Uncomfortable and potentially disruptive symptoms of menopause are directly related to the decrease in the levels of female sex hormone, oestrogen. So, in order to treat these symptoms, hormone replacement therapies of various kinds tend to, just as the name implies, bring the oestrogen levels back to the normal values, by providing the body with the synthetic bioequivalent of oestrogen.

Prempak-C does exactly this. Conjugated oestrogens that this medication relies on will act by boosting the oestrogen levels and thus decrease the intensity of symptoms experienced. However, at the same time, studies have proven that this seemingly simple mechanism of action has a serious flaw – in women who have not had their wombs removed, uncontrolled rise in oestrogen levels can contribute to the severe and excessive thickening of the uterine wall, thus increasing the risk of developing endometrial cancer. In order to prevent this, Prempak-C relies on its other active ingredient, synthetic progesterone called norgestrel. This pharmaceutical compound will assume the role of progesterone in organism, namely, keeping the oestrogen levels in check. In this way, Prempak-C can both replenish the depleted oestrogen levels and keep them on the optimal level, thus ensuring the safety of the user and eliminating the risk of developing cancer.

How is Prempak-C used?

Prior to commencing treatment with this medication, you should make sure that you are thoroughly familiar with the ways to optimise your results and ensure the safety of the treatment. Of course, when you will be buying Prempak-C for the first time, the doctor will provide you with detailed instructions on the topic and some additional information might be provided by your pharmacist. If you have any other unanswered questions, be sure to contact the doctor or alternatively consult the official patient information leaflet that is issued within every pack of Prempak-C.

Below, we will provide you with some of the most general guidelines when it comes to using this medication. Of course, the text that follows can under no circumstances be used as a kind of substitute to doctor’s advice or official information provided in the leaflet. Instead, it is here to serve simply as an illustration, to help you get a better idea of what Prempak-C treatment might involve and what will you be required to do to ensure the optimal results.

  • Always use exactly as prescribed
  • Unless specified otherwise by the doctor, you should be taking one tablet per day
  • Ideally, try to take Prempak-C at roughly the same time each day
  • Always take tablets whole, with water if necessary; don’t chew or break them
  • Prempak-C is classified as a sequential treatment (like, for example, Climesse), meaning the tablets in the pack contain different levels of hormones, making it crucial to take the tablets in the specified order
  • Strip containing the tablets is marked with arrows and labels with days of the week so it will be easier for you to keep track
  • Consult the patient information leaflet to learn when and how should you commence your treatment
  • If you forget a dose, never double on your next dose to compensate
  • You can take the missed dose as long as less than 12 hours has passed from the time when you were supposed to take it
  • If more than 12 hours has passed, simply skip it and continue with the treatment
  • If you end up skipping a dose, make sure to leave that tablet in the strip so as not to compromise the efficiency of the labels on the strip

What are Prempak-C side effects?

Just like other prescription-only medications and all other HRTs, Prempak-C also comes with an array of possible side effects that may manifest in women who are especially susceptible to them. It is highly advised to get familiar with the potential side effects prior to commencing the treatment. In that way, you will be able to differentiate between those side effects that might require you to halt the treatment and seek immediate medical advice and those which can be unpleasant, but are not really dangerous.

Side effects that are indicative of severe negative reaction of the organism to Prempak-C include:

  • Allergic reaction
  • Symptoms of cancer of the breast, ovaries or womb
  • Blood clot
  • Heart problems
  • Liver problems

Other documented side effects include:

Frequency of occurrence Side effects
Common (1 in 10 women) Breast pain, tenderness or swelling, unexplained vaginal bleeding or spotting, depression, pains in joints and muscles, leg cramps, changes in fat levels in the blood, weight fluctuations
Uncommon (1 in 100 women) Irregular periods, vaginal discharge, thrush, nausea, dizziness, bloating, stomach pain, headache, migraine, blood clots, anxiety, changes in libido, swelling of the face or ankle, itching, acne, hair loss
Rare (1 in 1000 women) Exacerbation of asthma or epilepsy symptoms, irritability and anxiety, increased hair growth, vomiting, growth of fibroids, ovarian cancer, heart attack, stroke, pancreatitis, skin issues

Please keep in mind that this is not a full list of all documented side effects. For a more comprehensive overview of the topic, please refer to the official patient information leaflet that you can find within your pack of Prempak-C.