Kliovance

Kliovance is a continuous combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). It is used by women who are post-menopausal. Post-menopause is a phase after menopause when a woman has gone over one year (12 months) without having a period. This phase will normally continue for the rest of the woman’s lifespan. To be eligible for this therapy, your last period should have occurred more than a year ago.

Kliovance UK contains two main active drug formulations which mimic the key female hormones Oestrogen and Progestogen. These are: Oestradiol 1mg (Oestrogen) and Norethisterone acetate 0.5mg (Progestogen), respectively.

Kliovance works by releasing two key hormones which are mimics of the natural sex hormones produced in the female body: Oestrogen and Progestogen. It consists of Oestradiol 1mg which is a natural synthetic form of (Oestrogen) and Norethisterone acetate 0.5mg (Progestogen), respectively.

Oestradiol 1mg helps to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, vaginal dryness, osteoporosis (weaking of bones), insomnia and many more. Norethisterone on the other hand, helps to protect the lining of the womb (endometrium) as Oestradiol can cause cancer or endometrial thickening if taken on its own.

Benefits can occur in as little as a few weeks to 3 months. Tablets are taken once each day without interruption which ensures monthly bleeding does not occur and hormone levels are maintained minimising menopausal symptoms.

However, HRTs are not a replacement for contraception, therefore if you are planning on having sex, ensure you speak to your doctor and discuss contraceptive methods as you can still get pregnant whilst on HRTs. Kliovance HRT is not advised in women who are planning for a pregnancy or are currently pregnant or breastfeeding. Please discuss with your healthcare provider for alternative treatments.

Menopause is a normal phase in a female’s life span and a natural part of aging and signifies the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Some women undergo symptoms of perimenopause before fully achieving menopause. This is when periods or menstrual bleeding are not completely absent but very irregular until they eventually stop.

Perimenopause is only classed as menopause once a woman goes 12 months without having a period.

Different women reach menopause at different ages. Therefore, each woman will have a varied experience leading up to menopause. Menopause in the UK occurs between 45-55 years of age according to the National Health Service (NHS), with the average menopausal age being around 51 years old.

Reasons for reaching menopause are varied. Some women reach menopause naturally due to aging, whereas others may reach menopause due to undergoing surgical treatments such as a hysterectomy (removal of uterus), oophorectomy (removal of ovaries), or even medical treatments such as treatments for cancer.

Symptoms of menopause are different in everyone; however, they can be extremely debilitating and wreak havoc in an individual’s personal life. Symptoms of menopause are outlined below:

• hot flushes (sudden changes in temperature in your environment so body feels hot then suddenly feels cold)
• headaches
• worsening of migraines
• reduced sexual desire (low libido)
• vaginal dryness which can cause discomfort such as itching, burning
• persistent cases of urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• bodily aches
• loss of appetite
• weight loss or weight gain
• changes in skin texture and laxity including dry skin
• heart palpitations
• insomnia (difficulty falling asleep)
• mood swings due to irritability
• depression
• memory problems due to brain fog
• reduced self-esteem

All the above symptoms can be extremely difficult to deal with on a daily basis and can heavily impact personal relationships at home and at work. Furthermore, women undergoing menopause or menopausal symptoms are often left feeling unheard or taken seriously due to lack of awareness. Hence, quite often, these women do not receive adequate support to manage these symptoms.

Kliovance benefits are plentiful in improving menopausal symptoms. During menopause, key sex hormones in the body which women naturally produce: Oestrogen and Progestogen reduce significantly overtime. This leads to key symptoms described above.

Kliovance helps to manage these symptoms by slowly increasing the levels of these hormones in the body by releasing hormones which mimic the effects of Oestrogen and Progestogen. These are: Oestradiol 1mg (Oestrogen) and Norethisterone acetate 0.5mg (Progestogen), respectively. Hence by replacing the key hormones in the body, the above symptoms can be managed better. 

Kliovance contains low doses of hormone replacement therapy compared to other HRTs. This is because Kliovance is normally suited for women who are sensitive to hormones. Therefore, HRT tablets Kliovance are a great alternative for women who may not be able to tolerate high doses of hormones during their treatment.

Kliovance should be taken as follows:

Take one tablet daily once a day with water and this should be taken around the same time each day.

1. Day 1 – take ONE tablet at 08:00am.
2. Day 2 – take ONE tablet at 08:00am or around this time.
3. Continue in this manner for the duration of 28 days as most medication pack sizes consist of 28 tablets (some pack sizes may contain 30 tablets so adjust as accordingly)
4. Start a new pack immediately the next day and continue treatment as normal – see to it that treatment is not interrupted therefore ensure that medication is ordered in advance in a timely manner.

All this information can be found in the package leaflet in your medication pack. Follow instructions as directed. Treatment using Kliovance can be started whenever is convenient for the individual.

In the case of switching HRT treatments to Kliovance, only start Kliovance after monthly bleeding has ceased. You should start Kliovance on the lowest dose possible and only increase dose strength if required. This should be discussed with the doctor and a suitable treatment plan should be arranged based on your needs.

If you want to stop taking Kliovance, consult your doctor for alternate treatments. Do not stop taking the medication without consulting with your doctor first in case of any side effects.

If you are preparing for a surgery, ensure your doctor is aware of your ongoing Kliovance treatment. You will be asked to discontinue taking Kliovance for four to six weeks before the surgical procedure. This is to avoid risks of any blood clots. Therefore, it is important to make your doctor aware of your medical history.

In this instance, speak to a healthcare professional or visit your local pharmacy for guidance. Taking too much Kliovance can cause bouts of vomiting and nausea so should be treated as a medical emergency.

If you forget to take a dose, do not take two doses (double dose) to make up for the lost dose as this could make you seriously ill. Instead, resume your normal dose at the normal time the next day and skip the missed dose altogether.

For individuals who still have a womb, keep in mind that forgetting a dose may cause some spotting to occur due to breakthrough bleeding.

The following table shows the possible side effects that can occur during treatment with Kliovance:

Symptoms such as breast pain, vaginal bleeding, breast tenderness are very common symptoms which tend to occur quite often.

Furthermore, certain diseases have been reported a lot more in women who use HRTs compared to those who don’t such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, venous thromboembolism (blood clots found in veins in legs or even lungs), heart diseases leading to heart attacks, stroke, cognitive decline (memory loss) and so on.

In the case of an allergic reaction, stop the treatment immediately and seek emergency services. Symptoms of an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction are as follows:

• Hives
• Itching of the skin
• Problems with breathing
• Hypotension (fall in blood pressure)
• Sweating and dizziness
• Swelling of the tongue
• Swelling of the face

• If you have or have had breast cancer in the past
• Any abnormal vaginal bleeding
• If you have had ovarian cancer or endometrial dysfunction in the past
• If you have a blood clotting disease such as protein C deficiency and so on.
• If you have allergies to any of the listed ingredients in Kliovance
• If you have had an allergic reaction to Kliovance in the past – see above for symptoms related to hypersensitivity to Kliovance
• If you have abnormal liver functioning
• If you have had a heart attack or stroke in the past or are currently on cardiovascular medication

Regular checkups with your doctor are highly recommended to ensure the treatment is working and there are no side effects. It is also a good way of monitoring if the HRT dose-strength needs to change or if other alternative treatments would be more suited.

Kliovance is only available on prescription. You can get Kliovance from the National Health Service (NHS) for free or via private consultation (payment required). Therefore, to start treatment on Kliovance, speak to your health care provider who will look at your medical history and assess if Kliovance is the right treatment for you.

You can also get Kliovance using online pharmacy services. Simply book an online pharmacy consultation after which a doctor or an independent prescriber will assess your needs and decide if Kliovance is the right treatment for you.