Trisequens: Buying cyclical HRTs for menopause management online in the UK

Trisequens is a branded hormone replacement therapy available in the form of so-calsled sequential pill. Developed and marketed by Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical company, this treatment for alleviating uncomfortable menopause symptoms is commonly prescribed to women who have had not their periods for at least six months. Rather popular in the UK, Trisequens comes with a calendar pack containing all the pills with arrows and labels indicating different days of the week to help you stay on track with your treatment. Taken once daily, this HRT is highly adept at tackling uncomfortable menopause symptoms and can also be safely used by women who have not undergone hysterectomy.

What’s on this page?

Should I take HRT?

Menopause is, of course, a completely natural process that every woman will go through after reaching certain age, when ovulation stops and the levels of female sex hormone, oestrogen, begin to gradually decrease. The resulting hormonal imbalance is responsible for almost all menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, excessive sweating, problems with excessive hair growth (or hair loss in some cases), headaches, mood swings and many others. While certainly uncomfortable, these symptoms tend to remain rather mild, periodic or short-lasted for a majority of women affected.

However, in a measurable percentage of women, menopausal symptoms can become especially severe or long-lasting, and as such, they may begin affecting everyday life and activities, causing significant disruption and discomfort. If this is the case, the doctor might recommend taking hormone replacement therapy to manage these symptoms and keep them under control. The recommendation of any specific HRT by your doctor will largely depend on individual variables including medical profile and history, severity of the condition and whether hysterectomy has been conducted or not.

How does Trisequens work?

Trisequens mechanism of action aimed at alleviating the uncomfortable menopausal symptoms is no different from other commonly prescribed HRTs in the UK. As was mentioned, a vast majority of symptoms of menopause can be directly tied to the decreasing levels of oestrogen, so it comes as no surprise that HRTs aim to solve this problem by bringing back the levels of oestrogen to the optimal values. This is done with the help of various synthetic bioequivalents to oestrogen, most commonly estradiol, as is the case with Trisequens too.

However, numerous studies have proven beyond doubt that the uncontrolled rise in oestrogen causes the excessive thickening of the uterine wall, thus significantly increasing the risk of developing endometrial hyperplasia or uterine cancer. This is why oestrogen-only HRTs can be used only by women who have had their wombs removed, as in this case, even if the levels of oestrogen become higher than ideal, they will not cause any side effects of the kind. On the other hand, women who have not undergone hysterectomy will have to get regular doses of synthetic progesterone, which will, just like naturally occurring progesterone, be tasked with keeping oestrogen levels in check.

Some doctors might recommend taking progesterone treatments alongside oestrogen-only solutions, while others opt for a combined HRT of some kind.

Trisequens as sequential combined HRT

Trisequens belongs to the category of combined HRTs and more specifically, sequential combined HRTs, similarly to, for example, Novofem. As such, it contains not one, but three different types of tablets within a single pack. Two of those types are oestrogen-only pills, albeit with different concentrations of estradiol, while the third one contains both synthetic oestrogen and synthetic progesterone, in this case, norethisterone acetate. In order to use Trisequens properly, you will have to take this tablets in proper order and the calendar pack will be of great help in keeping track of this.

How is Trisequens used?

While calendar pack might make you a bit dizzy at first, you will quickly see that it is a very valuable tool in helping you keep track of your treatment. In addition to this, you will of course get detailed instructions from your doctor on how to use Trisequens in such a way to ensure optimal results while at the same time minimising the risk of experiencing side effects. Finally, detailed instructions on how to use this HRT will be provided in the official patient information leaflet that is issued within every pack of Trisequens.

Below, we will provide you with some of the most general guidelines that should help you get a better understanding of what Trisequens treatment might involve.

• Always take as directed
• The usual dose is one pill per day
• Ideally, you should take Trisequens at the same time each day
• The pills will be in a calendar pack that will help you keep track of your treatment
• Detailed instructions on how to use this HRT can be found in the leaflet provided
• You must take the tablets in the correct order
• If you miss a dose, you can take it within 12 hours from the scheduled time
• If more than 12 hours has passed, skip the missed dose and continue with the treatment as usual (as if you had taken it)

Please not that this is not a detailed instruction and cannot be used as a substitute for the doctor’s advice or the information provided in the official leaflet that you can find within your pack of Trisequens.

What are Trisequens side effects?

Before commencing treatment, it is recommended to get familiar with Trisequens side effects so you can act accordingly if something goes wrong. It is very important to be able to differentiate between those side effects which are uncomfortable, but not too dangerous and those which will require you to contact your doctor or local emergency service immediately and ask for advice on what should you do next.

The latter category encompasses the following:

• Allergic reaction
• Liver problems
• Symptoms of breast, cervical or ovarian cancer
• Severe heart problems
• Blood clot
• Stroke
• Sudden migraines without prior history

Other documented side effects include:

Please keep in mind that this is not a full list of all documented side effects. For a more comprehensive overview, please refer to the official patient information leaflet issued within every pack of Trisequens.