Premique

• Premique is a form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• Premique contains conjugated oestrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MTA, a synthetic progesterone) to replace falling hormone levels during the menopause
• Premique can help with the symptoms of the menopause including hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness
• Premique is usually prescribed for women who still have their uterus (i.e., have not undergone a hysterectomy)
• It is important to read the patient leaflet for a full list of side effects and cautions.

In women around the time of the menopause, the fall in natural hormones can lead to symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, reduced libido, vaginal dryness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, aches and pains and mood changes.

Some women choose to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to offset the symptoms of the menopause. HRT such as Premique contains hormones that mimic the female sex hormones that are now in decline. Conjugated oestrogens help to replace natural oestrogen, and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MTA) replaces natural progesterone.

Each Premique tablet should be swallowed with some water. 

Premique is a form of continuous combined HRT. This means one tablet is taken every day for 28 days, and a new strip of tablets should then be started straight away with no break in between. 

Each tablet contains 0.3mg of conjugated oestrogens and 1.5mg of MPA (synthetic progesterone).

One tablet should be taken every day. If you forget a pill, take it as soon as you remember. However, if more than one tablet is forgotten, only the most recent tablet should be taken. You must not double up to make up for missed tablets. Missing a pill may lead to breakthrough bleeding.

Like all medications, Premique can have some side effects. The most common side effects include:

• Breast pain
• Vaginal infections
• Depression
• Aches and pains
• Breakthrough bleeding or spotting
• Breast tenderness or enlargement
• Vaginal discharge
• Weight increase or decrease
• Increased cholesterol level on blood testing.

These side effects are likely to settle down, but if they persist or become troublesome you should speak to your doctor for further advice.

Using HRT can cause a slight increase in the risk of some cancers including breast and uterine cancer. The risk increases when using a higher strength preparation for a long period. It is important that the benefits of using Premique outweigh the potential risks.

Serious allergic reactions happen very rarely. If you have a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) including breathlessness, lip swelling or tongue swelling, call 999 immediately.

Premique may not be suitable for everyone. You should tell your prescriber if you:

• Have, or have ever had, breast cancer
• Have, or have ever had, endometrial (uterine) cancer
• Have genital bleeding that has not yet been investigated or diagnosed
• Have thickening of the lining of the uterus or uterine fibroids
• Have, or have ever had, a pulmonary embolism (PE), or a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Have thrombophilic disorders
• Have, or have ever had, angina or a heart attack
• Have ever had a stroke
• Have liver disease
• Have porphyria
• Have hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Have diabetes
• Have gallstones
• Have migraine or severe headaches
• Have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus)
• Have epilepsy
• Have asthma
• Have otosclerosis.

Your prescriber can then advise whether Premique is a suitable medication for you.

Some medications can interact with Premique. You may be advised that Premique will not suit you if you already take:

• Phenytoin, phenobarbital, or carbamazepine for seizures or fits
• Rifampicin
• Rifabutin
• Nevirapine
• Efavirenz
• St John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum).

Because Premique may not suit everyone, we will complete a Consultation with you including a health questionnaire. This will ensure that the medication will be suitable for you.

A qualified prescriber will review your current medications, including any herbal remedies or supplements, to ensure that Premique will not interact with them. 

Once prescribed, Premique will be ordered on your behalf via electronic prescription. Premique will then be conveniently dispatched from one of our partner pharmacies.