About Hormone Therapy
Background on the Women’s Health Initiative study.
In 1993, the government commissioned a seven-year research study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) to identify the effects of hormone therapy in postmenopausal women. WHI was never intended to question the effectiveness of hormone therapy as a treatment for hot flashes and night sweats. Instead, some of the study’s goals included determining whether hormone therapy could lower the risk of bone fractures, heart disease, and breast and colorectal cancers in women after menopause.
While useful, the study did raise some concerns about the risks of hormone therapy use. Many aspects of the findings were not clear. However, hormone therapy still may be appropriate for many. This is something each individual woman should discuss with her healthcare professional.
Make the right decision for you.
When you look closely at the numbers in the study, there was not a dramatic difference between women using hormone therapy and those who were not. Basically, these findings support the FDA-approved opinion that the lowest hormone therapy dose that is effective should be taken for the shortest amount of time possible to relieve symptoms.
However, it is important for every woman to weigh the pros and cons individually, based on personal medical history and current lifestyle and habits. So talk with your healthcare professional about whether the possible benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risks in your case.
Night sweats?
No sweat.
Relief from menopausal symptoms may be a tablet a day away.
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What important information should you know about ANGELIQ® tablets (drospirenone / estradiol) 0.5mg / 1mg?
ANGELIQ contains a different kind of hormone, drsp®, which may increase potassium. Therefore you should not take ANGELIQ if you have kidney, liver, or adrenal disease. Be sure to talk to your doctor about taking ANGELIQ if you regularly take other medications that can increase your potassium levels. These can include: NSAIDs-ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®), naproxen (Naprosyn®, Aleve®, and others) when taken long-term and daily for arthritis or other diseases or conditions, potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone and others), potassium supplementation, ACE inhibitors (Capoten®, Vasotec®, Zestril®, and others), angiotensin-II receptor antagonists (Cozaar®, Diovan®, Avapro®, and others), and heparin.
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attack or strokes.
Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer and blood clots.
The most commonly reported side effects are irregular vaginal bleeding, breast pain and headaches.
Do not use ANGELIQ if you have had your uterus removed (hysterectomy), have unusual vaginal bleeding, have or have had a stroke or heart attack in the past year, currently have or have had blood clots, liver problems, or are allergic to ANGELIQ or any of its ingredients.
Estrogens with or without progestins should be used at the lowest effective doses and only for as long as menopausal symptoms persist. You and your healthcare provider should talk regularly about whether or not you still require treatment with ANGELIQ.
Motrin is the registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson Company; Advil is the registered trademark of Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, Inc.; Aleve is the registered trademark of Bayer HealthCare LLC; Naprosyn is the registered trademark of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.; Capoten is the registered trademark of Par Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Vasotec is the registered trademark of Merck & Company, Inc.; Zestril is the registered trademark of AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical LP; Diovan is the registered trademark of Novartis Corporation; Avapro is the registered trademark of Sanofi-Aventis US, LP; Cozaar is the registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.