How to use Elleste Duet

Elleste Duet HRT follows a 28-day cycle. If possible, begin taking the tablets on the first day of your period. The pill strip will indicate which tablet you are supposed to take next. Once you finish a pack, start a new one the following day.

Elleste Duet should be taken at a similar time each day, according to the directions on the pack. Swallow the tablet whole with a sip of water. This can be done with or without food.

If, for any reason, you forget to take a tablet, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is more than 12 hours late, skip the dose that you missed. Never double your dose to compensate for a dose that you have missed.

Elleste Duet Ingredients

The active ingredients contained in Elleste Duet are: Estradiol (as hemihydrate), norethisterone acetate (combined tablets only)

Elleste Duet tablets also contain the following inactive ingredients to make up the complete product: Lactose monohydrate, maize starch, povidone, talc, magnesium stearate, macrogol 400 and hypromellose (E464).

1mg tablets – indigo carmine (E132), quinolone yellow (E104) and titanium dioxide (E171);
2mg tablets – sunset yellow (E110), titanium dioxide (E171), black iron oxide (E172).

Elleste Duet Conti tablets also contain the following inactive ingredients to make up the complete product: Lactose monohydrate, maize starch, povidone, talc, magnesium stearate, macrogol 400, titanium dioxide (E171), black iron oxide (E172), hypromellose (E464).

Elleste Duet side Effects

Not everyone will experience side effects when they take Elleste Duet, however, if you do they can include:

• nausea
• headache
• breast tenderness
• change in libido
• anxiety
• dizziness
• insomnia
• stomach cramps
• breakthrough bleeding
• diarrhoea
• indigestion
• acne
• skin irritation
• rash
• back pain
• discharge from the vagina
• fluid retention
• weight gain
• womb spasms
• infection

If you are concerned about these effects, or if the product affects you in any other way, stop using it and talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Find out more information on our dedicated Elleste Duet side effects page.

Elleste Duet Warnings

Reading the following warnings carefully will help to ensure you are selecting an appropriate product.

Elleste Duet is unsuitable for you if you:

• Have ever had breast cancer
• May have cancer which is sensitive to oestrogen (including uterine cancer)
• Have untreated endometrial hyperplasia (an excessively thick womb lining)
• Suffer from a blood clotting disorder, or have ever had a blood clot
• Have recently had a heart attack or stroke
• Have unexplained vaginal bleeding
• Have a history of liver disease
• Suffer from porphyria (a rare hereditary blood disease)
• Are allergic to any of the ingredients in Elleste Duet Conti
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Inform your GP if you plan on taking Elleste Duet and have ever had any of the following health complications:

• Fibroids
• Impaired liver function
• Uterine problems including endometriosis or endometrial hyperplasia
• Circulation problems (e.g. angina, heart attack)
• High risk of blood clots
• Diabetes
• Migraine
• Gallstones
• An autoimmune disorder
• Asthma
• Epilepsy
• Fluid retention
• High blood pressure
• High-fat levels in the blood
• Obesity
• Otosclerosis (a hereditary ear disorder)
• A history of severe allergic reactions
• A family history of breast cancer or another oestrogen-sensitive cancer.

Tell your GP or pharmacist if you have taken or plan to take any of the following medicines:

• Epilepsy medicines (e.g. phenytoin, carbamazepine)
• Tuberculosis medicines (e.g. rifampicin)
• HIV medicines (e.g. nevirapine, ritonavir, nelfinavir)
• Anticoagulants (e.g. warafin)
• St Johns Wort.

As your body adjusts to Elleste Duet, you may notice breakthrough bleeding or spotting. Talk to your GP if this continues after more than a few months of treatment.

HRT may increase your risk of breast cancer. The extent of this risk will vary depending on the length of your HRT treatment and whether you are taking combined or oestrogen-only HRT. Check your breasts regularly for changes to the skin or nipple, or for any noticeable lump. For women who use HRT for more than five years, there may also be a slight increase in the risk of ovarian cancer.

Stop taking Elleste Duet Conti and seek medical attention immediately if you notice early signs of any of the following:

• Blood clots – pain and swelling of the legs, difficulty breathing
• Stroke – sudden migraines, blurred vision
• Heart disease – chest pain that extends to the neck or arm
• Liver disease – yellow colouration of the skin or eyes.

Discuss with your doctor whether your personal benefits of HRT outweigh the risks mentioned above.

Please read all packaging and the Product Information Leaflet before taking any new medicine and inform your doctor of medicines you are taking or intend to take.