Without the estrogen patch, Stenstøen cannot go to work. She is in menopause, which is not an illness in the first place, but some women experience great pain. Therefore, many women, like Stenstøen, are dependent on hormone therapy. But the pharmacy shelves quickly become empty of the medicine. The 54-year-old is therefore constantly visiting the pharmacies’ websites to secure estrogen patches. – It is an eternal hunt. When I struggle in Oslo, where there are many pharmacies, I dare not think about what it is like in small towns, says Stenstøen. She has “a few more weeks” of plasters. The hunt for new ones is already underway. What is menopause? Menopause symptoms can appear long before menstruation ends. It can happen as much as ten years before and the changes often occur in the 40s. Because you are approaching menopause, i.e. menopause, the ovaries make less of two hormones, estrogen and progesterone. As a first sign of this, menstruation can become more irregular in previous years. When the ovaries release so little of these hormones that menstrual bleeding stops completely, you have reached menopause. You cannot get pregnant after your period has completely stopped, but you should use contraception until you are absolutely sure. It is recommended to use contraception for 12 months after the last period to be on the safe side. Most women stop menstruating between the ages of 45 and 55, but it also happens that menopause starts earlier or later. Some get no or mild symptoms. Others have such severe problems that it affects their quality of life. Many have a good effect of hormone treatment against the ailments, but the treatment can cause serious side effects. Source: Helsenorge.no Hunting for estrogen patches: Anne-Beate Stenstøen must have a supply of estrogen to function at work and in private. Photo: Christian Ziegler Remme Since last autumn, the Norwegian Medicines Agency has reported a shortage of the estrogen patch Estradot. The latest announcement is that the patches, which come in five different strengths from 25 to 100 micrograms of estradiol, will be available in Norway around Midsummer. – Without the estrogen patch, I can’t go to work at the university. Then I just lie in bed and can’t stand anything, says Stenstøen. – A lot of frustration. Pharmacies are constantly running out of estrogen patches Estradot, the supply has been unstable for a long time. Photo: Christian Ziegler Remme Estradot is a transdermal patch that sends estrogen into the body of women who need estrogen supplementation. It may be because they have reached menopause, or because they lack estrogen for other reasons. These are the symptoms of menopause (menopause) Most people experience one or more symptoms, which can vary from mild to severe. Some ailments, such as hot flashes, are a direct consequence of hormonal changes. Irregular periods can be an early sign of impending menopause. These are the most common symptoms of menopause: Hot flashes where you suddenly feel hot, sweat and your face turns red. These can be so mild or strong that they wake you up at night. Some people find that these are triggered by caffeine, spicy food, hot drinks or alcohol. Night sweats. The lining of the vagina becomes drier and thinner during menopause. This can cause itching and make intercourse painful. Less sex drive. Difficulty sleeping. You may have difficulty falling asleep, wake up at night or wake up earlier than normal. Weight gain, less muscle strength and fat around the waist. It is difficult to know whether this is due to aging or hormonal changes. Being sad, depression and mood swings. Some people feel more anxious and forget more easily. Usually, the doctor can confirm that you are going through menopause based on symptoms and age. If you are younger than 40, you can take a blood test called FSH to be completely sure. Source: Helsenorge.no – Ever since last autumn, access to Estradot has been sporadic. When we get the patches in, several people are on waiting lists, so they disappear again straight away, says pharmacist Yemi Awoyemi at Apotek 1 Sfinxen in Oslo. Apotek 1 has already been notified that transdermal patches with 75 micrograms will not arrive until week 34. Women who use this strength must buy two packs of 50 and 25 micrograms on a dime to get the correct dose. Unable to help: Pharmacist Yemi Awoyemi at Apotek 1 Sfinxen in Oslo has waiting lists, the few estrogen patches that come in disappear immediately. Photo: Martin Fønnebø / news – We see that women go from pharmacy to pharmacy in sheer desperation. Even if we try, we cannot always find a solution. Without estrogen, the women get the problems back. Awoyemi understands well that the women are frustrated. – Estrogen deficiency affects them in working life and private life. It goes beyond the psyche and causes physical pain. I think that these ailments that women have are just as important to treat as other ailments. Waiting lists: As soon as pharmacies receive hormone patches, they disappear from the shelves immediately due to waiting lists. Photo: Martin Fønnebø / news – Shortage for several years The hormone estrogen can be obtained via spray, gel or tablets daily. Transdermal patches dose estrogen throughout the day and are changed twice a week. For gynecologist Helena Enger at Volvat hospital, the lack of estrogen patches is a known problem. She has called the pharmaceutical company and complained both last year and two years ago. It is estimated that 1/3 of women have major problems linked to menopause, says Enger. According to her, there is a shortage of estrogen patches throughout Scandinavia and Great Britain. – Desperate: Gynecologist Helena Enger at Volvat Hospital meets women who struggle with problems due to estrogen deficiency. Photo: Kari Lie / news – If I have to think positively, it is perhaps because more women are receiving hormone therapy, because the topic is being talked about openly. But if the shortage is only due to production technical issues, I will be upset. The women do not feel well when they do not get the medicine they need. When asked why women must have transdermal patches, when there are other forms of estrogen medication, Enger replies that you can get hormone therapy if you use a spray, gel or take tablets daily. The transdermal patches dose estrogen throughout the day and are changed twice a week. – But in my opinion, the patch releases estrogen at the same rate. They come in different strengths, and you only need to take it twice a week. This means that if you forget it, it will take a little longer before you get hot flashes or other problems again, says Enger. – Increased demand According to the company Sandoz, which is responsible for the estrogen patch Estradot, it is hoped that deliveries will start again during “the next few weeks”. – Like many other medicines, Estradot has also been affected by global supply problems which means that we are not able to produce enough, writes CEO of Sandoz Norden, Carsten Gleerup. – The production of Estradot is highly specialized because he involves cutting-edge expertise in plaster technology. The global production capacity is extremely limited and very vulnerable to any supply problems. The supply problems have been caused by a global shortage of raw materials, a lack of packaging material, a complicated value chain with components from Asia, final production in the USA, in addition to shipping to Europe. In addition, Sandoz is experiencing rising global demand for the product, not least from large countries such as Great Britain and the United States. This puts further pressure on the already tight production capacity, says Gleerup. – If Estradot is not available, we encourage all patients to contact a doctor to consider alternative treatment, he explains further. For Anne-Beate Stenstøen, it’s not funny. – There is a large group of women who get worse and are called off sick from work. It is bad social economy, which is part of the big picture with women’s health, believes Stenstøen.
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Anne-Beate must have an estrogen patch – the pharmacy is still empty – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
