Premique

What is Premique?

Premique is a combined form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It is prescribed for women who are going through menopause. The two active ingredients in Premique are medroxyprogesterone acetate and conjugated oestrogens, which mimic the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone.

Premique Low Dose is a period-free HRT, which means you will not have a monthly bleed.

You must have a prescription to buy Premique.

What is Premique used to treat?

Premique is a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) designed to help ease the symptoms of menopause. All women will go through menopause, usually between the ages of 45 and 55. During this time, your ovaries will produce less and less oestrogen, which stops your menstrual cycle.

Premique, like all HRT medicines, will not prevent women who are still fertile from becoming pregnant. If you are under the age of 50, you are still considered to be fertile until two years after your final menstrual cycle.

While menopause is a natural part of a woman's ageing process, it can have a large impact on your daily life, manifesting itself in various physical symptoms, such as:

• Night sweats
• Hot flushes
• Vaginal dryness
• Dryness of the eyes
• Osteoporosis
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Irritability

Symptoms generally last for around four years, although they can begin several years before you start menopause.

Why is Premique prescribed for treating menopause symptoms?

Premique's active ingredient, medroxyprogesterone acetate, has been used as an effective treatment for menopause symptoms for more than 30 years. Studies have shown that this medicine is safe for short-term use (less than 5 years) for women going through menopause. 

How does Premique work?

A treatment like Premique works to lessen the effects of menopause symptoms by supplementing the hormone levels produced by your body. It does this by emulating the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Some HRT treatments are oestrogen-only, but this can lead to complications in women who still have a uterus.

Premique also contains medroxyprogesterone acetate, which means you will not have monthly bleeding but the medication will control the effects of added oestrogen in your system.

Who can take Premique?

You should not take Premique if any of the following applies to you:

• You are allergic to medroxyprogesterone acetate, conjugated oestrogens or any other ingredients contained in this medicine
• You have any unexplained vaginal bleeding
• You have or have ever had a blood clot in a vein or the lungs
• You may currently have or have ever had breast cancer
• You have or may have an oestrogen-sensitive cancer, such as cancer of the womb lining
• You have any blood clotting disorders
• You have untreated excessive thickening of the womb lining
• You have porphyria
• You have recently had a stroke, heart attack or any other disease caused by blood clots in the arteries
• You have ever had a liver disease

Read the patient information leaflet for a complete list of reasons why Premique may be unsuitable for you.

Can you buy Premique over the counter?

No, Premique is a prescription-only medicine and cannot be bought over the counter.

Can you buy Premique online in the UK?

You can buy Premique from Medicine Direct following an online consultation with a registered doctor, pharmacist or prescriber. This is to make sure that Premique is a suitable HRT medication for you to take.

If you order online by 2pm, we are able to offer you next day delivery.

We sell Premique as a 0.3mg/1.5mg dose in packs of 84 tablets.

Never order any type of medication online unless it is from a regulated pharmacy, like Medicine Direct. You can see the official medical authorities we are regulated by on our About Us page.

Premique alternatives

A number of different HRT medications are available to order from Medicine Direct.

Some may be more suitable than others for certain women to take.

Some of the other HRT medicines we stock include:

• Zumenon
• Femoston
• Estradot
• Elleste Duet

See the full range of treatments on the Hormone Replacement Therapy product page.

Premique Dosage

Our pharmacists and prescribers follow NICE guidelines when prescribing Premique.

The recommended dose of Premique is to take one tablet each day.

Always take the dose prescribed by your doctor, who will prescribe you the lowest effective dose for the shortest time possible. If you think the prescribed dose is too strong or too weak, tell your doctor.

How to take Premique

• If you are taking another period-free HRT, or if you are not already taking any HRT, you can start Premique straight away. If you are changing from another HRT medication where you had a monthly bleed, start Premique the day after you finish the previous medicine’s final course of treatment. If your doctor tells you to do differently, follow their instructions.
• Take Premique at the same time each day. This will help you to remember to take it.
• Take the first tablet marked with the correct day of the week. Take one tablet each day until you have taken all 28 tablets.
• Start your next pack the day after you finish the previous one.
• Swallow Premique tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not crush, chew or halve them.

Read the patient information leaflet before you start to take Premique. This will provide you with full instructions.

Premique Side Effects

As with all medication, Premique does come with certain side effects, although not everyone who takes it will experience them.

Common adverse effects may include:

• Breast pain
• Depression
• Increase or decrease in weight
• Muscle and joint pain
• Breast tenderness or swelling
• Nipple discharge
• Changes in your triglyceride levels

Tell your doctor if these side effects bother you or do not go away. 

Always read the patient information leaflet for the full list of side effects.

Premique warnings and drug interactions

Premique may interact with other medications, which may lead to irregular bleeding.

Before taking a new medication, it is very important that you inform your doctor of any medicine you are already taking. This includes both prescription and non-prescription medicine, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies.

Find out more on medicines that interact with Premique. 

HRT can increase your risk of breast cancer when taken for extended periods. How high the risk is depends on how long your hormone replacement therapy lasts and whether you are taking combined or oestrogen-only HRT. It is important that you regularly check your breasts for lumps or changes in the skin or nipple. Women may also have an increased risk of ovarian cancer if they use Hormone Replacement Therapy for longer than five years.

Stop using this treatment and seek urgent medical attention if you have any symptoms of the following:

• Stroke (sudden migraines and/or blurred vision)
• Liver disease (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes)
• Heart disease (chest pain that travels to the neck or arm)
• Blood clots (pain and swelling in your legs, trouble breathing)

Always read the patient information leaflet for a full list of warnings for this treatment. If you have any questions or doubts at all, we strongly advise you to speak to your doctor before you start taking it.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

This medication is for women who are post-menopausal only. Therefore, you should not use it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Make sure your doctor is aware if you are currently pregnant, are trying to get pregnant, or think you might be pregnant.

Premique Ingredients

The main active ingredients within this medicine are: Medroxyprogesterone acetate and Oestrogens, conjugated

For a full list of the inactive ingredients, please read the Summary of Product Characteristics.