Clinical experience
Side effects most frequently encountered in clinical trials of the Trisekwens® drug include vaginal bleeding and pain / tenderness in the mammary gland, reported by approximately 10% to 20% of patients. Vaginal bleeding usually occurred during the first months of treatment. The pain in the mammary glands usually disappeared after several months of treatment.All adverse events observed in randomized clinical trials of Tricequence® or similar HRT with a higher frequency than placebo, and which are generally believed to be associated with HRT are presented below.
Violations of the genitals and mammary gland
Very often (> 1/10): pain or pain in the mammary glands, menstrual irregularities or menorrhagia.
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): swelling or enlargement of the mammary glands, an increase or relapse of the uterine fibroadenoma or the development of a primary uterine fibroadenoma.
Infrequently (> 1/1 000; <1/100): endometrial hyperplasia, dysmenorrhea.
Infections and invasions
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): vaginal candidiasis or vaginitis.
Disorders from the metabolism and nutrition
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): fluid retention.
Disorders of the psyche
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): Depression or worsening of depression.
Infrequently (> 1/1 000; <1/100): nervousness.
Disturbances from the nervous system
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): headache, migraine, or exacerbation of migraine.
Disorders from the gastrointestinal tract
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): nausea, abdominal pain, flatulence, or abdominal discomfort.
Infrequently (> 1/1 000; <1/100): flatulence or bloating.
Disturbances from musculoskeletal and connective tissue
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): pain in the back, cramps in the calf muscles.
General disorders and disorders at the site of administration
Often (> 1/100; <1/10): peripheral edema, weight gain.
Immune system disorders
Infrequently (> 1/1 000; <1/100): hypersensitivity reactions.
Vascular disorders
Infrequently (> 1/1 000; <1/100): thrombophlebitis of superficial veins.
Rarely (> 1/1 0000; <1/1000): pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombophlebitis.
Disturbances from the skin and subcutaneous tissues
Infrequently (> 1/1 000; <1/100): alopecia, hirsutism or acne, an itchy rash or hives.
Other
Infrequently (> 1/1 000; <1/100): no effect of the drug.
Experience in the post-marketing use of the drug
In addition to the aforementioned adverse reactions that occur with the use of Trisekvens®, listed below are those adverse reactions that may be related to treatment with Triesequens®.
The incidence of such adverse reactions can be classified, as very rarely (<1 / 100,000 patient-years):
- Benign and malignant neoplasms (including cysts and polyps): endometrial cancer
- Disorders of the psyche: insomnia, anxiety, changes in libido
- Disturbances from the nervous system: dizziness, impaired cerebral circulation
- Disturbances on the part of the organ of vision: visual impairment
- Vascular disorders: exacerbation of hypertension
- Heart Disease: myocardial infarction
- Disorders from the gastrointestinal tract: dyspepsia, vomiting
- Disturbances from the liver and biliary tract: cholecystitis,
cholelithiasis, exacerbation of cholelithiasis
- Disorders from the skin and subcutaneous tissues: seborrhea, rash,
angioedema
- Violations of the genitals and mammary gland: vulvovaginal pruritus
- Other: weight loss, increased blood pressure.
Mammary cancer
According to a large number of epidemiological studies and one randomized placebo-controlled study conducted by the Women's Right to Health organization (WHI, Women’s Health Initiative study), the overall risk of developing breast cancer increases with the duration of HRT.
The relative risk assessment, obtained by re-analysis of the original data 51 epidemiological studies (in which more than 80% of women undergoing HRT with estrogen only) and the result of the analysis of the epidemiological study data "Million women" (MWS, Million Women Study) are practically the same: 1.35 (confidence interval 95%, 1.21 - 1.49) and 1.30 (confidence interval 95%, 1.21-1.40), respectively.
The results of individual epidemiological studies indicate, in general, a higher risk of developing breast cancer in women undergoing combined hormone replacement therapy (estrogen plus progestogen), compared with those who took estrogens alone.
Research data MWS show that compared to women who have never undergone HRT, the use of different types of combined (estrogen plus progestogen) HRT is associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancerRR = 2.00, at 95% confidence interval: 1.88-2.12), compared with those who took only estrogens (RR = 1.30, with 95% confidence interval 1.21-1.40) or took tibolone (RR= 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.25-1.68).
According to the research WHI For all women enrolled in combined (estrogen plus progestogen) HRT for 5.6 years, the risk was 1.24 (95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 1.54) compared with placebo.
Absolute risk indicators calculated from research data MWS and WHI, are presented below:
Using the known proportion of the disease of women with breast cancer in developed countries, in the study MWS found that:
- Breast cancer is diagnosed in about 32 out of 1000 women who do not use HRT, between the ages of 50 and 64 years.
- For 1000 women undergoing or recently undergoing HRT, the number of additional cases of breast cancer development during the relevant period will be:
With substitution therapy only estrogen:
- between 0 and 3 (the most accurate estimate = 1.5) with a 5-year course
- between 3 and 7 (the most accurate estimate = 5) with a 10-year course
When combined, estrogen plus progestogen, HRT:- between 5 and 7 (the most accurate estimate = 6) with a 5-year course
- between 18 and 20 (the most accurate estimate = 19) with a 10-year course.
A study conducted by the WHI found that after a course of treatment of 5.6 years in women between the ages of 50 and 79 years, the development of 8 additional cases of invasive breast cancer per 10,000 women may be due to a combined, estrogen plus progestogen, HRT CEE + MRA). Based on the calculations carried out in the study, it is established that:
- For 1,000 women taking placebo, approximately 16 cases of invasive breast cancer can be diagnosed within 5 years.
- For 1000 women who took a combined, estrogen plus progestogen, HRT (CEE + MRA), the number of additional cases could range from 0-9 (the most accurate estimate = 4) in 5 years of use.
The number of additional cases of breast cancer in women who take HRT is similar for women who started HRT, regardless of age at the start of therapy (between 45 and 65 years of age).
Endometrial cancer
The risk of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer in women with an intact uterus increases with the duration of intake of exclusively estrogen. According to epidemiological studies on the most accurate risk assessment, it is expected that approximately 5 out of 1000 women who do not undergo HRT can be diagnosed with endometrial cancer between the ages of 50 and 65 years. Depending on the duration of treatment and the dose of estrogen, the increased risk of developing endometrial cancer among patients taking exclusively estrogen, according to available data, varies from 2 to 12 times, compared to patients not taking estrogens.The addition of progestogen to monotherapy with estrogen alone significantly reduces this risk.
Other adverse reactions reported in connection with treatment with the estrogen / progestogen combination are:
- Disturbances from the skin and subcutaneous tissues: chloasma, exudative polymorphic erythema, erythema nodosum, vascular purpura.
- Possible dementia (see "Special instructions").