Elestrin estradiol gel 0.06%

Menopause
and Treatment Options

Understanding Menopause

Know What to Expect...and How to Adjust to Changes in Your Body

Menopause is a perfectly natural and normal event in a woman's life. Of course, going through menopause may leave you feeling anything but natural and normal. Your body's changing, and with it, your emotions may be too. Understanding what happens during menopause is an important first step in helping you better adjust to the changes that come along with it.

During menopause, your ovaries stop producing eggs, your body produces lower levels of estrogen and other hormones (like progesterone), and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether. Most women experience menopause between the ages of 40 and 58, with the average age being around 51.1

The Phases and Types of Menopause

There are several terms related to menopause that are worth defining:1

  • Perimenopause: The transition leading up to menopause in which estrogen levels in the body gradually decline. Physical symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, often begin during this phase, which can last for 6 years or more.1
  • Menopause: The phase marking the permanent end of a woman's menstrual cycle—when a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.1
  • Postmenopause: The years following menopause. Some symptoms associated with menopause may still linger during this phase.1
  • Surgical menopause: In a woman whose ovaries are surgically removed (a procedure known as bilateral oophorectomy), menopause may begin earlier. A woman whose uterus has been surgically removed (a procedure known as a hysterectomy) but whose ovaries are still in place will not automatically go through menopause. She may, however, experience an end to her ovarian estrogen production approximately 2 to 3 years earlier than usual.1

Symptoms of Menopause2

What can you expect when going through menopause? While not every woman experiences physical symptoms, many do. These symptoms are caused by hormonal changes in the body and can vary in type and severity for each woman.

Many women look to reduce their menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes, through treatment such as hormone therapy. Other women may consider herbal treatments. The important thing to know is that many women may find relief of menopausal symptoms. It's essential to educate yourself and to talk with your healthcare provider about the treatment that may work best for you.

In This Section: An Overview of Menopause, Common Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Menopause can be a confusing subject. You may find yourself struggling with questions or sorting through conflicting information. To better understand what your body is going through—and to learn how to separate menopause fact from fiction—explore the information in this section. Know that all decisions regarding treatment for your menopausal symptoms should be made in conjunction with your healthcare provider. Please review all of the risks, warnings, adverse reactions, and contraindications detailed in the full prescribing information for all treatment options.

  • Understanding your symptoms: Learn what causes common menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, and what, if anything, you can do to help relieve them.
  • Weighing your treatment options: With so many remedies promising to relieve hot flashes, it can be hard to know where to turn. Know what to look for in a treatment option to help you choose wisely.
  • Insights on hormone therapy: Hormone therapies for the treatment of hot flashes and night sweats are primarily available either in pill form or as transdermal (through the skin) products that are applied directly to the skin. Understand more about the various treatment options.
  • The facts about bioidenticals: The claims associated with compounded hormones (often referred to as bioidentical hormones) are often misleading. Get the facts and learn to separate truth from hype.
  • Do herbal treatments work?: Are remedies such as soy-based products and herbs really effective for treating hot flashes? Find out more.
  • Menopause FAQ: Get answers to frequently asked questions about menopause, its symptoms, and treatment.

All estrogen therapy has risks. Please see important safety information at the bottom of this page.

Indication

Elestrin is indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause.

Important Safety Information

Estrogens, with or without progestins, should not be used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or dementia (decline in memory or thinking skills). Estrogen and progestin therapy has shown an increased risk of breast cancer, heart attack, and blood clots. Estrogen therapy, with or without progestins, increases the risk of stroke and dementia. Estrogen therapy alone increases the risk of cancer of the uterus (womb).

Elestrin should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past; currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be or know that you are pregnant.

The most frequently reported adverse events in clinical trials were nose and throat irritation, breast tenderness, upper respiratory tract infection, and irregular menstrual bleeding.

You and your healthcare provider should discuss whether Elestrin is right for you or whether you still need treatment with Elestrin.

Estrogens, with or without progestins, should be prescribed at the lowest effective doses and for the shortest duration consistent with treatment goals and risks for the individual woman.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Patient Information Sheet.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

For more information, call 1-800-890-3098.

References

  1. North American Menopause Society. Menopause Guidebook: Helping Women Make Informed Healthcare Decisions Around Menopause and Beyond, 6th ed. Available at: http://www.menopause.org/edumaterials/guidebook/guidebook.aspx. Accessed July 16, 2010.
  2. Mayo Clinic. Menopause. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menopause/DS00119/METHOD=print. Accessed July 16, 2010.